Laborde was born in Paris. She studied with
Adolphe Grognier and
Mocker. 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. When her voice returned, she obtained an audition at the Opéra-Comique. On 24 September 1840, a three-year contract was signed. Miss Villaume made her debut on December 10, 1840, at the Opéra-Comique as Isabelle in Hérold's
Le Pré aux Clercs. she sang at the
Comédie-Italienne. She had her first performance on January 15, 1841, in the role of Queen Amaltea in Rossini's
Mosè in Egitto. and creating the role of Nephthah in Auber's ''
L'enfant prodigue. She sang in Robert le Diable, La muette de Portici, William Tell, Mosè in Egitto, le Comte Ory'', while at the same time achieving success in concerts. She created a role in
Théodore Labarre's
Pantagruel in 1855, the only performance of which was a failure. Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Berlin, Stettin, Riga, and Moscow. her students included
Lucy Arbell,
Emma Calvé,
Marie Delna,
Jeanne Gerville-Réache,
Jane Mérey,
Rose Stelle-Pourtet, and
Meyrianne Héglon. Laborde died in
Chézy-sur-Marne. She is buried in the
Passy Cemetery. The bust of the singer on her tomb was sculpted by
Paul Landowski. == Writings ==