Obituary, Jodie Devos, 1988-2024

We are sorry to share news of the death of celebrated coloratura soprano, Jodie Devos, who recorded for the Alpha label. Devos was second prize winner in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2014, and her many recordings include music by Rameau, Offenbach, Pergolesi and Debussy.

Outhere Music have said the following:

It is with great sadness and emotion that we announce the death of Jodie Devos. Jodie had been fighting cancer with huge courage for several months. She returned to the stage at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées on 30 April with great determination, but her health condition suddenly worsened a few days ago.

This news, so unreal and so unfair, is deeply shocking for us all. Jodie was only 35 and at the height of her art. We know how much she was loved by her colleagues, the entire music community and, of course, the public.

We are proud to have recorded many albums with her, including three solos. The famous “Offenbach Colorature” was a huge success, winning all the awards from the international press and being voted record of the year 2019 by so many reviewers. Not forgetting the beautiful recital with piano ‘And Love Said...’, an intimate portrait of Jodie, tracing her journey from her native Belgium to England, where she studied, and France, where she settled. She also participated enthusiastically in many other recordings, with musician friends who all praised her immense talent and kindness.

Our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

For her recital ‘And love said...’, recorded with pianist Nicolas Krüger, she decided to record a love song by Freddie Mercury (You Take My Breath Away): ‘I absolutely had to sing this song in this programme, it fitted in perfectly as the theme of love is recurrent here’.

“Anywhere you go, I’ll be right behind you

Right until the ends of the earth

I’ll get no sleep till I find you to tell you

That you just take my breath away"