Meyriane Heglon

as Dalilah in "Samson & Dalilah" by Saint Seans

Meyriane Héglon
[Meyriane Willemsen]
1867 – 1942
Belgium Contralto Mezzo

Studied singing with Marie Sasse ,Barthot, Tequi, and Obin and Rosine Laborde. Debut at Grand Opéra in Paris in 1890 as Maddalena in ‘’Rigoletto’. Appeared in a small part in the premiere of the opera ‘’Thaïs’’of Massenet 1894. Still in the same year she sang there in the French première of Verdi’s ‘’Otello’’ performing as Emilia and on 25. 5. 1894 in the premiere of the opera ‘’ Djelma’’ bys Lefebvre. In 1895 she created at Grand Opéra title role in the premiere of ‘’Frédégonde’’ by Guiraud. The other premieres in which she appeared in this opera house were ‘’La Montagne Noire’’ by Holmès 1895, ‘’La Cloche du Rhin’’ by Bruneau 1898, ‘’Les Barbares’’ by Saint-Saëns 1901, ‘’Astarte’’ by Leroux 1901, ‘’Le Fils de l'Étoile’’ by Erlanger 1904 and ‘’Miarka’’ by Georges 1905. 1899 she performed in the premiere of the opera ‘’ Messaline’’ by Lara at the Opera House of Monte Carlo. 1904 she sang in Monte Carlo in the premiere of the opera ‘’Hélène’’ by Saint-Saëns,. 1907 she appeared in the premiere of ‘’Théodora’’ byer Leroux at Monte Carlo. In 1902 she created at Grand Opéra Paris the role of Erda in R. Wagner’s ‘’Siegfried’’. In 1898 she made guest appearance at Covent Garden in London in the première there of the opera ‘’Henri VIII’’ by Saint Saëns; in 1899, Guested in Zurich as Dalila in ‘’Samson et Dalila’’ by Saint-Saëns. She married the composer Xavier Leroux (1863-1919) in whose operas she appeared often. Later she was active in Paris as a voice teacher.