Gérard Dunan (ARTISTES LYRIQUES)
107 Rue de la Réunion, 75020 Paris, France

Tenor Gérard Dunan was active on the 1960s operatic scene, appearing on recordings of Mignon (the opéra comique by Ambroise Thomas), Les Troyens (the five hour opera by Hector Berlioz), Antoine D’Auvergne’s Les Troqueurs, and Wozzeck (Alban Berg’s first opera). He was married to the soprano Christianne Claperon.

Philippe Marcillac (Piano)
106 Boulevard de Charonne, 75020 Paris, France

A lover of Bach in his youth, Philippe Marcillac’s dream was to become a classical musician. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with dyspraxia and gave up the piano to become an actor, moving to Paris and joining an acting troupe. Together the actors opened a cabaret, Le Baccarat, in rue du Bac, but Marcillac soon left the theatre to return to his first love, piano. It was a triumphant return, with Marcillac eventually becoming the pianist for Boby Lapointe in the 1960s.

Martine Chaumet (DANSEUSES)
81 Rue de Buzenval, 75020 Paris, France

Born in Paris, Martine Chaumet studied at the l’école de Danse de l’Opéra de Paris. At the age of 13 she was hired by Léonide Massine to interpret the role of the little Russian girl in “La Boutique fantasque”. She danced with Gilbert Mayer in 1965, and was engaged as a soloist in Monte-Carlo under the direction of Marika Besobrasova, leading to performances across Europe, including at the BBC in London. In the 1970s she worked with Josette Amiel, and Irène Lidova hired her as a principal dancer in Italy. By the end of the decade she became an artistic director and teacher at the Ecole Compagnie de Ballet de Paris.

Marcel Rioutord (poète)
57 Rue des Vignoles, 75020 Paris, France

Witty and kind, Marcel Rioutord’s poetry was described as “cutting everyday life into little spicy sandwiches, adding the pepper of puns and the spice of spoken language.” He was a contributor to the weekly satirical journal Le Canard Enchaîné, it is the oldest satirical press title still active today. In the 1950s Rioutord worked for Radio Dakar in Senegal, giving a series of talks across West Africa, as far south as Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Fred Lenain (CHANSONNIERS)
3 Pass. Dagorno, 75020 Paris, France

One group of Parisian entertainers who always hunted as a pack were the chansonniers, the comic entertainers, who were fine of voice, quick of wit, and always poked fun at the establishment. A man very much in their midst was Fred Lenain, a familiar face in the chansonnier’s haunts of the Deux Anes, le Caveau de la République, and the Dix Heures. Lenain appeared on stage with fellow chansonniers such as Roméo Carlés, Pierre Ferrari, Max Régnier, Géo Pomel, Raymond Baillet, Serge-Paul and Géno Gil. The revue was a popular format for chansonniers, where everyone takes a turn, creating an intoxicating mix of songs, jokes, comic narratives, impressions, even a little slapstick.

Pierre Comte (COMÉDIENS)
80 + 90 Rue des Orteaux, 75020 Paris, France

There are two famous actors called Pierre Comte, which one lived here is hard to tell. With two different addresses listed for Comte in this very street, there is even more of a mystery surrounding this elusive thespian. The most likely Pierre Comte, was active in the 1950s and 60s, more in the theatre than the cinema. A minor player on the big screen, he appeared in small roles in both Le Toubib, Médecin du Gang (1956) and La Longue Marche (1966). On stage he was active in the 1950s, appearing in supporting parts throughout the provinces. He did appear in Paris at the Théâtre Hébertot in 1952, his breakthrough year. Later in the decade he worked his way up the bill, a major success was Anton Tchekhov’s Les Trois Sœurs, where he played Vassili Vassilievitch Soleny, alongside Daniel Emilfork.

Daniel Humair (Batterie)
70 Rue des Maraîchers, 75020 Paris, France

Born in Geneva (Switzerland), drummer and bandleader Daniel Humair moved to Paris in 1958. In the capital he worked with legendary international jazz musicians Don Byas, Lucky Thompson, Kenny Dorham, Bud Powell, Oscar Pettiford, Chet Baker, Eric Dolphy, to name just a few. Let’s not forget the cream of Parisian talent too, he played with the best the city had to offer: Martial Solal, Stéphane Grappelli, Pierre Michelot, and Jean-Luc Ponty. He has recorded more than 300 albums, among them ten under his own name. He formed a trio with François Jeanneau and Henri Texier which was a catalyst for new French jazz, before moving on to work with artists such as Michel Portal and Richard Galliano. Humair was made an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1992, and in 2000 was awarded the Victoires de la Musique for his HUM album with René Urtreger and Pierre Michelot. In the 1990s he began to focus more on his activities as an abstract painter and printmaker. His artwork is vibrant, bold and rhythmic, with a playful language that reflects the expressive nature of jazz.

Denise Dupleix (ARTISTES LYRIQUES)
2 Vla des Pyrénées, 75020 Paris, France

The golden voice of Denise Dupleix was destined for the great Operatic stages of France and abroad. Her father and mother were touring operatic artists, and her brother Jean, an actor. She graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris after winning a first prize in operetta and a second prize in opera. Immediately she was hired at the Opéra-Comique, and after training in all the disciplines of the house for a season she took to the major stages of Europe: Marseille. Bordeaux, Nancy, Lille, Nice, Brussels and Geneva. The role which really announced her to French public was title role in Lakmé in 1950. She followed this with appearances in Le Barbier de Seville, La Dame Blanche, and Les Pêcheurs de Perles. Touted as the artistic revelation of the year, she also won the Grand Prix de la Radiodiffusion Française in 1950. As a rich talent so embedded in the very fabric of French opera it was fated that she would pass on her knowledge and expertise to the next generation. She became a respected teacher of singing and the operatic arts at the Ecole de l’Opéra de Paris where she trained many of today’s great French voices.