Rosine Laborde

Rosalie Henriette Bediez, known as Mlle Villaume, Mlle Villiomi in her early days, and then as Rosine Laborde, épouse Dur-Laborde (1 April 1824 – 1 September 1907) was a French lyrical artist and singing teacher.

Laborde was born in Paris. Her parents were attached to the Opéra-Comique and seeing their child's early disposition for music, directed her education in this direction. The young Rosalie has successively Adolphe Grognier, light tenor and Mocker as teachers. She was admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris on 23 December 1833. She received lessons from Panseron, and obtained the 2nd prize in solfège in 1836 and the first prize the following year.

In June 1839, Miss Villaume lost her voice and had to leave the conservatory; she continued her musical studies with a new master, Pierinarini, and when her voice returned she obtained an audition at the Opéra-Comique. On 24 September 1840 a three-year commitment was signed. Miss Villaume made her debut on December 10, 1840 at the Opéra-Comique as Isabelle in Hérold's Le Pré aux Clercs.

The following year, under the name Villiomi, she sang at the Comédie-Italienne. She first appeared on January 15, 1841, in the role of Queen Amaltea in Rossini's Mosè in Egitto.

Two years later, she performed at the Ghent Theatre. Her debut took place on 8 November 1842 in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, opera that she sang for the first time in French. In May 1843, she made her first appearance on stage at the theatre of La Monnaie, in Brussels in Lucia. On August 22 of the same year, she married the tenor Jean-Auguste Dur-Laborde. She held the position of light singer at the same time in the grand opéra and the opéra comique until 1848.