Marie Micheline Dany Charpentier-Leroy
Lecturer for French for Singers
charpentier-leroy@mdw.ac.at

Born in Paris, Marie Charpentier-Leroy teaches French, phonetics and French diction at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. In addition to her work as a language coach, author and soloist, she is a member of the renowned Arnold Schönberg Choir and regularly participates in productions at the Theater an der Wien.

After completing her master's degree in French literature, the mezzo-soprano studied opera singing at the Paris Conservatoire (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris). Parallel to her vocal studies, she studied musicology at the Sorbonne University in Paris. After obtaining her diploma in singing (Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel de Musicien – DNSPM) and her master's degree in musicology, her enthusiasm for musicals and operettas led her to study in this field for another year.

When she was given the opportunity to study in Austria for a year as part of a study programme, she moved to Vienna, where she has been pursuing her two passions ever since: music and teaching French. She regularly participates in opera projects in France and Austria, most notably with the Arnold Schönberg Choir, with which she has performed in numerous concerts worldwide (including at the Theater an der Wien, the Wiener Musikverein, the Opéra Comique de Paris, the Opéra Royal de Versailles, the Berliner Festspiele, and the Hong Kong City Hall of China, among others). She also sings in the choir of the Vienna Volksoper. In addition, she works regularly as a language coach for opera productions.

As a French teacher, in addition to her work at the mdw, she also teaches at the Dr. Roland Matura School, where she prepares candidates for the external school-leaving examination (AHS Matura). She spent eight years as a French language trainer in the corporate sector (including at Kapsch, Siemens, E-Control and Infoscreen) and five years as an examiner for the French language diploma (DELF) issued by the Institut Français de Vienne (A1–B2).

In the field of cabaret and theatre, Marie Charpentier-Leroy has already written and directed several musical theatre pieces for a singer/actress and piano in Paris and Vienna: Je te veux (2013), C’est la vie! (2019, revival in 2023) and Souvenirs d’une rose – Memories of a Rose (2023).

In addition to her artistic activities, she is also active as a musicologist, particularly in the field of 19th and 20th century French chanson. Her study Aux sources de la chanson réaliste on "realistic chanson" and its origins was published in 2022 by Aedam Musicae.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)-18.11.2025