(Photo © Pilar Pellicer)

Mezzo-soprano María José Montiel will join the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in a live streamed ceremony scheduled for June 23, 2024.

She will take over the position formerly occupied by the late and legendary Teresa Berganza. Montiel was elected to the Academy in 2023 and has received numerous honors throughout her career including the Best Female Opera Singer at the 2011 Premios Líricos Teatro Campoamor for her interpretation of “Carmen” in Barcelona; the Premio Lucrecia Arana; and the Premio Federico Romero de la SGAE, among others.

“It was a great honor to hear the news of my appointment this past year, that recognizes so many years on stage. It will be a real honor to read my acceptance speech on June 23 and become a member of the institution; so many wonderful memories are coming to me from my time as a student in Spain and Vienna, to all the memorable experiences in theaters and halls aroound the world, like my vocal studies at the Universität der Kunste in Berlin. My beloved and admired Teresa Berganza was the first singer who was named to this prestigious institution and I feel so honored to take over her place from here on out,” Montiel said in an official press release.

Audiences will be able to stream the event on the Real Academia’s YouTube.

The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando was founded in 1752 during the reign of Fernando VI and remains one of the major musical institutions in Spain.