Instituto Superior del Arte Del Teatro Colón To Showcase Its Young Talent At the Americas Society

By David Salazar

On Wednesday, Oct. 24, the Americas Society will present a number of young artists from the Instituto Superior del Arte del Teatro Colón, a training division of the famed theater in Buenos Aires.

Many of these artists are winners of the 12th Concurso Alejandro Cordero, a competition that features many of the young artists. It’s usually a major surprise to be selected from among your peers, especially when you know each other so well.

But for tenor Rodrigo Olmedo, the experience was one he can never forget for another reason.

“My first son was born the day before the competition. I was very sleepy but, fortunately, my voice responded very well. I even think I’ve never sung this well in a competition.” Olmedo told OperaWire.

While many of the participants have not taken in the Big Apple, Olmedo has. He was in New York back in 2013 to compete in the Marcello Giordani Vocal Competiton in Vero Beach but did note that he was itching to come back ever since.

Meanwhile, for soprano Rocio Fernández, the experience is a first on many levels.

“This trip to NY is at once the fulfillment of a dream and a challenge because it is the first time I sing as a soloist outside of Argentina,” she said.

Meanwhile, sopranos Elizabeth Guerrero and Florencia Burgardt are ready to seize the opportunity to showcase their talents and enjoy the cultural richness that New York has to offer.

“Being part of this experience is a privilege, being able to do these concerts and show what we have been working on is a great motivation,” Guerrero noted.

“This trip means an opportunity to show what I have been doing as a singer, and I am also very happy to be able to go to the MET, which is a dream,” added Burgardt.

“This trip brings a measure of recognition from the jury of my work and constant effort, and of the passion, I put into singing, which is what I love to do,” added tenor Lucas Arrieta. “Besides the joy of bringing my voice and that of my colleagues to another country, it will perhaps open doors to new opportunities and growth.”

The five are all slated for a number of different pieces on Wednesday evening, all accompanied by Marcelo Ayub, who noted that the repertoire selection is based on the “same arias they sang in the Competition, as well as arias and ensemble. My goal when I put together these programs is to balance pieces that highlight each singer’s individual voices with others that display their ensemble musicality and dramatic skills.”

Guerrero will take on an aria from Haydn’s “Il Mondo della Luna” before engaging in a duet from “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” with Olmeda and a trio from Gluck’s “Paride ed Elena” with Ferández and Burgardt.

Olmedo will showcase “A mes amis” from “La Fille du Régiment” which he noted was among his favorite roles because of “the characteristics of my voice and because I like happy endings.” He will also appear in a duet from “Così Fan Tutte.”

Regarding Fernández, audiences will hear her in music from “Faust (in duet with Arrieta),” and “Le Cid.”

Burgardt will showcase her soprano in Puccini’s “Tu che di gel sei cinta” and in “O soave fanciulla,” noting that Puccini is the right composer for her.

“Puccini wrote melodies that are hard to sustain but are moving and I feel that the music is well-suited to my voice.”

Finally, Arrieta will get a shot to showcase his skills in an aria from “Madama Butterfly” and a duet from “Faust,” a role that he stated is his favorite.

“[Faust is] a man who has spent his life in a fruitless pursuit and who has forgotten about love and the feelings of youth. By selling his soul he gets that which he never had, even if the price is steep. I identify with him because I spent my youth thinking about and helping loved ones. Today I continue my search for happiness and love through music, which is my life.”

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