Projects
Rolando Villazón
Smetana hall at Prague's Municipal House
The world-renown Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón returns to Prague he fell in love with to sing famous Italian romances of Gioacchimo Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini and Giuseppe Verdi and opera arias of the Italian bel-canto. He will be accompanied by the Nuovo Mundo Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Guerassim Voronkov.
French citizen (as of 2007) born in Mexico City, the singer will celebrate his 40th birthday on 22nd February of this year. He introduced himself to the world opera scene after winning the 1999 Plácido Domingo Operalia Competition and he soon became a star. His European debut came with the role of Des Grieux at Massenet’s Manon which he sang the same year in Genova. Following several unbelievable debuts at the front European opera houses he soon became one of the most sought-after artists of his generation. Later, his voice indisposition (as discussed in press all over the world) made him pause his career for some time, yet the artist overcame the hurdle and he returned to the stage with a triumph. In March of 2010 his Nemorino at Donizetti’s L´elisir d´amore at the Vienna State Opera was rewarded with great ovations and after his Werther at the Covent Garden, London The Times wrote: “He’s simply Villazón: back again with his trademark exuberance, ringing tenor, and frightening ability to act a part.” And it was Massenet’s Werther again that also brought him to the role of stage director for the first time: at the opera house in Lyon, France in January of 2011.
Both of his previous Prague concerts (2005 and 2007) were unforgettable events for all present at the audience. The City of Prague also enchanted Villazón: “Prague was fantastic, my heart is full of the best experiences – the people were amazing and the city was incredible, I love Prague…“, he said. Villazón’s charisma, the “enfant terrible“ of the opera world gifted with the untamed energy able to transform the concert stage into a opera scene, is compelling and unique. His performance is absolutely spontaneous, natural and he never crosses the line of a fine taste. The Mexican tenor is a master of communications with all – the conductor, the orchestra and mainly the audience. He must have been born with the art to make connections from the moment he enters the stage. Plácido Domingo who considers himself a spiritual father of Mr Villazón declared: “Apart of his exceptional qualities as a singer, Rolando has been gifted with a powerful drama talent and a great charisma. He is able to compel himself to his listeners, his audiences feel it and they are not able to take their eyes away from him…“