Monroe Rigby knew from a fairly young age that she wanted to pursue music.
“I don’t know if I’m good yet,” the singer, who goes by her stage name, Monroe, remembers thinking at the time. “But you always just keep growing. That’s life, you know. I just wanted to do it because I love it. I loved it then, I love it now, and I’ll love it for a lot longer.”
For the 17-year-old who grew up near Salt Lake City, the interest started as a child sitting with her family at church. Monroe saw up close how music affected her parents. And when she started singing in the church choir, she would look out and see how it brought joy to others in the congregation, even moving some to tears.
“It just got me completely in love with this idea that it can touch you in a way that you don’t even understand,” Monroe said. “And so from then on, I just wanted to keep learning. And then I started taking lessons. And then I started doing theater. I started with musical theater shows and doing some opera shows.”
Now, the teenager is preparing to perform on the largest stage yet of her rising career.
Monroe has been selected to represent France in the 70th annual Eurovision Song Contest. The international competition — which helped to launch the careers of artists including ABBA and Celine Dion — reached 166 million viewers last year. This year, 35 countries are competing.
Speaking from Vienna, Austria, where she recently had her first rehearsal for Eurovision, Monroe chatted with the Deseret News about her path to the competition — and how Utah helped her get there.
‘After the Super Bowl, it’s the biggest show’
“We’re just having the time of our lives right now,” Monroe said on a Zoom call last Friday, the day after her first rehearsal.
The teenager recently arrived to Austria by way of France, where she has been making a name for herself the past couple of years.
When she was 16, she won the popular French TV competition “Prodiges,” which highlights talented young performers in the fields of instrumental music, opera/classical singing and dance.
That win, cemented with a performance of the classic “Queen of the Night” aria from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” landed her a record deal with Warner Classics. Last year she released her debut album, “Monroe,” featuring a mix of operatic and crossover standards like Puccini’s “Nessun dorma” and “Over the Rainbow.”
The “Prodiges” victory also connected Monroe to Alexandra Redde, the chief of delegation for France at the Eurovision Song Contest. Together they looked at a few songs before landing on “Regarde!” as France’s official entry for Eurovision.
The official music video for the song has more than 2 million views on YouTube.
“It’s all about this idea of finding strength and finding love and reassurance within us,” Monroe said. “Realizing that even though our lives can be so, so busy, sometimes ... we just need to look around, take a deep breath and see that there’s some strength around us.”
Monroe will perform “Regarde!” on Saturday, May 16, during the Eurovision grand finale — which will be livestreamed on the official Eurovision YouTube channel at 1 p.m. MDT. It’s a monumental milestone for her young career — “After the Super Bowl, it’s the biggest show,” the teenager said with a laugh.
Claiming a spot in the Eurovision Song Contest, Monroe said, has been a true team effort — including the support of influential mentors and programs in Utah.
How Utah helped prepare Monroe for Eurovision
French and U.S. cultures have been intertwined throughout Monroe’s life — she speaks “Franglish” at home, she said, thanks to a dad from the states and a mom from France.
Growing up in Utah, she found a strong support system for her musical passions. Michael Ballam, who founded the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre in Logan, was a major influence. At the festival, Monroe observed up close the art of performing, and took part in youth programs where she was able to develop her skills with kids her age who shared a similar passion.
“They were the ones that really pushed me ... in getting me to the artist that I am and the artist that I aspire to be as well,” she said. “They were always pushing me.”
Monroe has also studied with Thomas Glenn, a Grammy Award-winning tenor who teaches at Utah State University. Glenn was by her side in France when she recorded her first album, and is now in Vienna cheering her on in Eurovision.
For the teenager, making it to the prestigious Eurovision stage is a reflection of all the support and encouragement she has received in both Utah and France.
And plans beyond Eurovision are already in the works.
Monroe, who recently performed Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” with Josh Groban during his show in Paris last month, will go on her own tour performing in churches and cathedrals throughout France.
“But for right now, my focus is entirely 100% — 200% — on Eurovision,” she said emphatically.
France has won the international contest five times, and now, Monroe has the chance to bring the country its first victory in nearly 50 years. But above all else, the rising star is proud to be part of a historic event she described as a “celebration of cultures, art, music and unity” — and she hopes Utah will cheer her on from afar.
“It’s all centered on unity — the unity of cultures, of countries, of languages — and I think that’s beautiful. It’s amazing that we have something like this that can unify so many people,” she said. “And so honestly, I really hope that Utah can be a part of the Eurovision this year, and can enjoy it. ... I really hope that they’re there with us.”