Update: OperaWire has changed the headline to better reflect Juan Jesus Rodriguez’s Statement. The Royal Opera’s official statement has also been added to the end of this article.

Baritone Juan Jesus Rodriguez has released a statement regarding his experience in a production of “Il Trovatore” at the Royal Opera House.

The baritone took to social media a few hours before the July 19 performance and said, “Today, we finally bid farewell to this Trovatore at the Royal Opera House in London. The Royal Opera House in London is a temple that has been visited by the greatest artists, with a sublime orchestra and chorus, the best casts and a team of professionals enviable by any theatre.”

He added, “NO ONE has the right to break anyone’s harmony and here in this production by Adele Thomas with musical direction by Carlos Rizzi it has happened. We singers have had to overcome the challenge of not falling down the stairs or, in my case, not suffering syncope from the heat caused by the costume or seeing my aria ridiculed on stage. All this while having to look at a musical director who seems to care little if you need to breathe or if your voice can be heard above the orchestra; accompanying is already a fiction.”

He continued, “Thanks to my personal strength, my technique and my experience with this opera, which I have sung in great theatres such as the Met in New York, San Carlo in Naples, Massimo di Palermo, Liceo in Barcelona, Peking Opera, Maggio Fiorentino, Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Euskalduna in Bilbao, etc., I have been able to get to the end of what I consider an “attack” on Verdi and above all on the artists. What outrages me most is the lack of humanity, the deification, and the mistreatment and abuse of power. Never again will I repeat with these two ‘geniuses.’ TOI TOI TOI TOI to all colleagues for our last performance today. My deepest admiration for all the cast of artists and professionals. This message seeks justice above all personal interests.”

Rodriguez is a well-known baritone who has performed all over the world at the Metropolitan in New York, the Royal Opera House in London, the Los Angeles Opera, San Carlo in Naples, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and the Rome Opera. He is known for his Verdi roles, including Rigoletto, Simon Boccanegra, Conte di Luna in “Il Trovatore,” Germont in “La Traviata,” Iago in “Otello,” Nabucco, Macbeth, Rodrigo in “Don Carlo,” Renato in “Un Ballo in Maschera,” and Ezio in “Attila.”

On Monday, the Royal Opera House issued a statement regarding the comments by Rodríguez.

“We are aware of the recent public comments made by a member of the Il trovatore cast regarding their experience during the production at the Royal Opera House. While we respect the right of individuals to express their views, we do not recognise the characterisation of the production or the working environment as described,” a spokesperson for the company said. “The Royal Opera House remains committed to fostering a respectful, collaborative, and artistically ambitious environment for all performers and creative teams. We are proud of the work delivered by the entire cast, crew, and creative leadership throughout this production, and we thank them for their professionalism and dedication. We take all feedback seriously and will continue to review concerns through the appropriate internal channels.”