Beloved Belgian soprano Jodie Devos died in Paris on June 16, 2024, at the age of 35 after a battle with breast cancer — a loss reported by VRT via their coverage of her passing. Only weeks earlier, on April 30, she had given a radiant performance at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées that reflected the artistry she carried throughout her career. Born on October 10, 1988, in Libramont-Chevigny, Devos refined her craft at the Institut de Musique et de Pédagogie in Namur and at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and in 2014 she earned second prize along with the audience prize at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Her recording debut for Alpha Classics — an electrifying Offenbach collection — won a Gramophone Editor’s Choice and paved the way for celebrated albums including And Love Said… and her final release, Bijoux perdus, a tender homage to 19th-century Belgian soprano Marie Cabel. Onstage she moved between virtuosic coloratura such as the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte and the more lyrical Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, appearing from the Opéra Comique in Paris to audiences in India and Brazil. As we remember Jodie, we honour a career that shone with rare brilliance, and the opera community shares both grief and gratitude for the music and memories she leaves behind.
Her Onstage Romances Hid a More Private Personal Life
On the stage, Jodie Devos was adept at embodying wives and lovers swept up in opera’s intense love plots. In 2016 she portrayed Genevieve de Brabant — a wife whose suffering stems from her foolish husband Sifroid — among other emotionally charged roles.
Offstage, Devos kept her personal affairs largely private, concentrating on her work instead of public relationships. She was widely thought to have remained unmarried, channeling her energy into a demanding career from a young age.
Even in her final period, while battling breast cancer, she continued to perform.
No Spouse or Children: Davos’ Father Could Receive Her Estimated $5 Million Estate
The Belgian soprano, whose performances earned her international recognition, left behind not only a rich artistic legacy but an estimated net worth of about $5 million.
Across more than a decade she built a successful career through albums and live appearances, accumulating substantial earnings from her recordings and stage work. Those financial gains likely would have continued to grow had her life not ended so suddenly.
With no husband or children named as heirs, Jodie’s assets appear set to move to her next of kin. Her father, Philippe Devos, who is separated from his wife, is expected to be the principal beneficiary under the applicable inheritance rules.
Mr. Devos recently posted a poignant photo on social media showing him holding Jodie’s hand. The image prompted a large outpouring of sympathy and support from fans and friends around the world.
Jodie is also survived by a younger brother; he and their father are the family members most likely to inherit her estate in the absence of a spouse or children.
