PHOTO: Pierre Brunel
French Coaching for Opera & Classical Singers
Language. Music. Performance.
Helping singers bring French to live.
“One of the most exciting music and language coaches I have ever encountered in my long life. For young artists, a total inspiration but also for seasoned professionals.”
David Gowland, Former Artistic Director, Jette Parker Artists Programme, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
My experience
As a native French speaker and French coach for singers, I work with both established professionals and emerging artists, helping them bring clarity, authenticity and expression to French repertoire. My work encompasses diction and pronunciation, as well as a detailed exploration of the text and its connection to musical and dramatic interpretation.
Having trained as a singer at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, I bring a singer’s perspective to my work as a French coach.
I have worked as a French coach on productions at the Royal Ballet & Opera, Welsh National Opera, Royal Danish Opera, Lithuanian National Opera and Opera Holland Park.
I also work regularly with leading music institutions, including the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Cardiff University School of Music, Morley Opera School and the BBC Singers.
Engagements in 2026 include Dialogues des Carmélites and Werther at the Royal Danish Opera, Orphée aux Enfers at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and masterclasses at the Mérida Opera Studio in Mexico.
Paul Wingfield
“Hervé is everything you could want in a language coach. Not only does he give students systematic tools for tackling French pronunciation but he also brings his experience as an actor and performer to bear on text and its successful delivery. The students are extremely fortunate to be working with such a gifted teacher.”
Head of Vocal and Operatic studies at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Master French Diction & Expression
Understanding the particular challenges singers face when performing in French, I work on diction and pronunciation with precision, using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) where helpful. But accurate pronunciation is only the starting point. I also explore the text, its meaning and its connection to the music, helping singers communicate naturally and expressively in French.
Whether you are preparing a French aria, mélodie, complete operatic role or audition repertoire, I can help you develop clear, authentic French while connecting pronunciation, text and interpretation. I also coach French Latin pronunciation for singers working on French sacred and choral repertoire.
My background as an actor and theatre director also informs the way I coach. I approach French not simply as pronunciation, but as dramatic text — helping singers connect the language to character, intention and performance.
FRom pronunciation to interpretation
In our sessions, we can:
• Refine your French pronunciation, diction and intonation.
• Explore the relationship between language, voice, music and textual meaning.
• Develop your interpretation of characters and repertoire.
• Build confidence and freedom when singing in French.
•Bring authenticity and expression to your French opera and mélodie repertoire.
french repertoire MASTERCLASSES
“As French coach on our residential Samling Artist Programme Hervé inspired a deeper understanding of the nuances and subtleties of the texts studied, and in a memorable public masterclass gave the audience insights into the French theatrical tradition.”
Karon Wright, Artistic and Executive Director of Samling Institute for Young Artists
Photo credit: Mark Pinder
My French repertoire masterclasses are designed for singers in Young Artist Programmes, Opera Studios, conservatoires and music colleges. They combine French diction and pronunciation with an exploration of text, musical expression and dramatic interpretation.
Recent masterclasses include the Samling Institute for Young Artists, the Royal College of Music, Cardiff University School of Music and the Mérida Opera Studio in Mexico.
JETTE PARKER ARTISTS PROGRAMME
Jette Parker Artists company 2024 -2025
Photo: Sebastian Nevols
As a member of the coaching staff of the Jette Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Ballet & Opera, Covent Garden, I provide French coaching to the programme’s artists, working on French repertoire, diction, text and dramatic interpretation. I also coach the artists in preparation for their annual summer performance.
TESTIMONIALS FROM FORMER JETTE PARKER ARTISTS
French coaching for Carmen — Royal Opera House, London 2024
“Hervé coached me on the role of Zuniga in Carmen for my Royal Opera House (ROH) debut in the role. He was very patient and enthusiastic, taking me from the very start of the process (phonetics, liaisons and pacing) through to the finished product. His ideas were most useful when it came to getting into character, with his skills as an actor coming into play as we role-played the dialogues back and forth. Most importantly, he gave me confidence with the language and was fundamental in helping me to hold the stage and project this strong character to a full ROH audience, without the aid of microphones.”
Jamie Woolard
Bass-Baritone
Grisha Martirosyan as Sulpice in La Fille du Régiment — Jette Parker Summer Performance, Royal Opera House, London 2024
“I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Hervé on numerous occasions, and each time it brings me great joy to enter the rehearsal room and see that I will be working alongside him once more. Hervé exemplifies professionalism in every aspect of his craft. His friendly demeanour, kindness, and unwavering dedication to his work create an atmosphere that fosters creativity and growth. I have learned a tremendous amount from my experiences with Hervé, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such a remarkable individual.”
Grisha Martirosyan
Baritone
french OPERA PRODUCTIONS
French coaching at the Royal Opera House — Carmen, 2024
I have worked as a French coach on opera productions at leading opera houses and music institutions, including:
WERTHER - Massenet - Royal Danish Opera - 2026
DJAMILEH - Bizet (excerpt) - Royal Ballet & Opera - 2026
ORPHÉE AUX ENFERS - Offenbach - Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - 2026 DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES - Poulenc - Royal Danish Opera - 2026
LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES - Bizet (excerpt) - Royal Opera House - 2025
LE CARNAVAL DE VENISE - Campra - Vache Baroque - 2025
LA DESCENTE D’ORPHÉE AUX ENFERS - Charpentier - Vache Baroque - 2022 & 2025
CARMEN - Bizet - Royal Opera House - 2024
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT - Donizetti (excerpts) - Royal Opera House - 2024
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN - Offenbach - Lithuanian National Opera - 2024
WERTHER - Massenet (excerpt) - Royal Opera House - 2023
HAMLET - A. Thomas (excerpt) - Royal Opera House - 2023
CARMEN - Bizet - Royal Danish Opera - 2022
MANON - Massenet (excerpts) - Royal Opera House - 2022
MARGOT LA ROUGE - Delius - Opera Holland Park - 2022
CARMEN - Bizet - Welsh National Opera - 2020
TESTIMONIALS
What singers and creative teams say about working with me as a French coach.
French coaching for Dialogues des Carmélites — Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen, 2026
“I worked with Hervé on Mme Lidoine in Les dialogues des Carmélites. It was a role debut in Barrie Kosky’s production at The Royal Danish Opera. Having previously performed La voix humaine, I knew how important the words are in Poulenc’s work. Hervé took it further than that. With his background as not just a language coach but also as an actor, he made our sessions into a workshop in interpretation, giving each word its full meaning, colour and drama. All the while, he brought a calm, respectful, and productive energy to the sessions. I highly recommend Hervé Goffings for any singer or actor preparing a new role.”
Sine Bundgaard
Soprano
French coaching for Carmen — Welsh National Opera, 2020
“Hervé is a perfect French coach, clear, efficient, and most importantly effective. He was able to combine a solid understanding of the phonetics of his language with his skill as a musician and performer to give appropriate guidance to our cast. He worked with the music and production staff to deliver a show that sacrificed neither clarity or drama.”
Chris Moon-Little
Assistant Director
Michelle Daly as Ninetta in Les Vêpres siciliennes — Royal Opera House, London, 2017
“Hervé helped me with my preparation for the role of Ninetta in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden production of Verdi's Les Vêpres Siciliennes. Hervé is a very encouraging and friendly coach and he was extremely helpful in aiding me with the pronunciation of the French libretto. Furthermore, his own background as an actor and performer meant he had a better understanding of the complex poetic text and theatrical context. His singing background meant that he knew the best way to pronounce the French without compromising vocal sound. I would definitely recommend Hervé.”
Michelle Daly
Mezzo-Soprano
READY TO WORK ON YOUR FRENCH?
Book an online French coaching session.
