Barbara Menier

Soprano and choir director Barbara Menier fell in love with choral music at a very young age. From the children's choirs of the Académie d'Auderghem to the Namur Symphony Choir, via Polyphonia and the World Youth Choir, singing has always been part of her life. It was only after completing her degree in anthropology that she undertook advanced studies in singing at the Royal Conservatory of Liège, in the class of Greta De Reyghere (assistants: B. Giaux, Ch. Solhosse, E. Crommen; vocal chamber music: Th. Lenaerts). She also trained in free improvisation with G. List. Alongside her studies, Barbara Menier taught an introductory course in sociology.

Today, Barbara Menier has the pleasure of performing as a singer on numerous Belgian and international stages, notably with the Namur Chamber Choir and the Vlaams Radiokoor. She participates in numerous recordings, mainly of Baroque and contemporary music, and has had the opportunity to work under the direction of conductors such as L. G. Alarcón, Ch. Rousset, R. Van Mechelen, J. Chauvin, D. Reiland, F. Bernius, T. Kaljuste and P. Dijkstra.

With a degree in social and political sciences (ULB, 2001) and a passion for research (anthropology – Mini-ARC research grant, ULB) and teaching, she decided to complete her training with a degree in music (singing – IMEP, 2017). 

She has been teaching singing to children and young people in the La Monnaie choirs (since 2008), conducting the Polyphonia choir at the Académie d'Auderghem (since 2021) and teaching music to future primary and lower secondary school teachers (Éphec Éduc). 

At the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, she has the opportunity to teach her two passions: anthropology, in the BaRR section, and an introduction to vocal techniques in the teaching section.