Elsa Benoit received vocal and piano training at a young age and took her first steps onto the stage as a member of the opera choir in Rennes and Angers-Nantes while studying musicology. She later successfully completed her studies at the Amsterdam Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music degree. Between 2011 and 2013, she commenced her vocal studies at the Dutch National Opera Academy, where she earned a Master's degree in Opera with distinction. In November 2012, she was awarded three prizes at the international singing competition "Symphonies d'Automne," followed by the Brane-Cantenac Prize at the MACM international singing competition in March 2013.
After two years at the Bavarian State Opera Studio, the doors to Elsa Benoit's singing career opened for her. During her time at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt, she received acclaim for her portrayals as Tytania in Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and as Giulietta in Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi." Equally notable were her interpretations as Micaëla in "Carmen" (for which she received the Austrian Music Theater Prize) and as Despina in "Così fan tutte."
From 2016 to 2021, the soprano was a member of the Bavarian State Opera ensemble and embodied various roles, including the Shepherd in "Tannhäuser," Oscar in "Un Ballo in Maschera," Frasquita in "Carmen," Najade in "Ariadne auf Naxos," Adina in "L'Elisir d'Amore," Gretel in "Hänsel und Gretel," Musetta in "La Bohème," Zerlina in "Don Giovanni," and Emilie in Rameau's "Les Indes galantes."
Since 2021, she has been working as a freelance artist. Following performances of Philippe Hersant's "Les Eclairs" at the Opéra Comique, Handel's "Alcina" (as Morgana) at the Palais Garnier in Paris, "Carmen" (as Micaela) in Toulouse, "The Rake's Progress" (as Anne Trulove) in Rennes and Nantes, Handel's "Agrippina" (as Poppea) in Munich, Handel's "Semele" (as Semele) in Barrie Kosky's production in Lille and Berlin (Komische Oper), and Poulenc's "Les Mamelles de Tiresias" (as Thérèse) in Glyndebourne, the focus of her operatic activities in the 2023/24 season will be on Massenet's classic "Werther" (as Sophie) in a new production by Robert Carsen under Thomas Hengelbrock, as well as the title role of Poppea in Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea" in a new production directed by the American director Ted Huffmann under the baton of George Petrou at the Cologne Opera.
Elsa Benoit is also highly sought after in the concert field. Previously, his included Mahler's Symphony No. 4 with the Oviedo Filarmonia conducted by Lucas Macias, Christmas concerts with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and performances of Handel's "Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno" (as Bellezza) with the Berlin Philharmonic under Emmanuelle Haïm in Berlin and Baden-Baden. Additionally, her performances in Haydn's "The Seasons" under Hans-Christoph Rademann in Stuttgart and Brahms' Requiem under Manfred Honeck were among the musical highlights of the past season.
As the curtain rises on the 2023/24 season, the soprano will perform Mendelssohn's "Lobgesang" under the baton of Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, followed by Fauré's Requiem under Andrew Manze and the Munich Philharmonic. She will also be heard multiple times with the Berlin Philharmonic, performing Mahler's Symphony No. 4 under Robin Ticciati and Honegger's dramatic oratorio "Joan of Arc at the Stake" under Alan Gilbert.