12 May 2025
Ahead of this year’s Concerts for a Summer’s Night, we spoke with Héloïse Werner on her musical loves and inspirations, how singing impacts her composing, and what her ultimate superpower would be.
Héloïse is a French-born soprano and composer. Her debut album ‘Phrases’ was released in 2022 on Delphian Records and quickly gained widespread critical acclaim. This summer, Héloïse’s vocals and the Scottish Ensemble musicians’ playing will meld to create a bright and vivid sound world.
A 75 minute performance will include music by Barbara Strozzi, Julie Pinel, Errollyn Wallen as well as Héloïse. You can book your ticket for Concerts for a Summer’s Night here.
What got you interested in music?
My mum was a musician, so I was born in a musical family. But what really did it for me was watching the Maîtrise de Radio France (French Radio Children’s Choir) perform an incredible new children’s opera by Julien Joubert when I was about 10. After that, I told my parents: “I want to join this choir!” (and I did).
What is the first album you ever bought?
The J.S.Bach cello suites recorded by Heinrich Schiff.
What is your top live music experience and why?
That’s a really tricky question because I have been part of so many special musical experiences, both as a performer and as an audience member. But I would say watching Brazilian singer Teresa Cristina and her band Grupo Semente perform in a bar in Rio about 15 years ago was definitely one that I will never forget!
How does being a singer impact your approaches to composing?
Being a singer informs my composition practice, and vice versa – it’s all linked. I pretty much always use my voice to compose – I sing the melodies into my phone and then transcribe them onto paper, even when writing an instrumental only piece. I love playing around with my voice in a very free and improvised way and again, this always informs my compositions.
“I love playing around with my voice in a very free and improvised way and again, this always informs my compositions.”
Tell us about Concerts for a Summer's Night and what you are most looking forward to in the performance?
Having been in the audience to experience the thrilling and dynamic playing of this exemplary group of musicians, I am hugely looking forward to the honour of joining them on stage for this special collaboration.
I am very excited to perform some new arrangements for voice and strings, two of which were created especially for this tour: one by my dear friend and multi-talented musician Marianne Schofield (a sublime arrangement of an 18th-century tune by Julie Pinel) and a second one, which I did with my equally multi-talented long-time collaborator Colin Alexander, of an existing song of mine called “Lullaby for a sister”.
"I am very excited to perform some new arrangements for voice and strings, two of which were created especially for this tour."
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Probably tele-transportation. Because I want to stop taking planes but sometimes it’s difficult to avoid it.
Where do you like to visit in Scotland?
I love going to Edinburgh, such a great city! Also, because I love attending the Edinburgh Fringe and watching 7 comedy shows a day, what a dream!
