(Photo: Mané Galoyan press)

Armenian soprano Mané Galoyan is steadily conquering Europe’s leading opera stages. Her voice has become associated with roles that require both impeccable vocal technique and a powerful dramatic presence, while each new performance becomes an event followed closely by audiences and critics.

This summer, the soprano became part of one of Madrid’s most anticipated musical events: Christof Loy’s new production of Manuel Penella’s “El Gato Montés” (The Wild Cat) at Teatro de la Zarzuela. For an artist whose career has been shaped primarily by the great classical opera repertoire, appearing on the stage of Spain’s most important zarzuela theater represents a new artistic territory.

Zarzuela, a genre that brings together opera, theater, and Spain’s unique musical tradition, demands not only vocal mastery but also a particular emotional openness and a deep understanding of the culture behind the music.

OperaWire spoke with Mané Galoyan about what brought her to Madrid, how Spanish music differs from the repertoire she usually performs, and what new possibilities the world of zarzuela can offer today’s artists.

OperaWire: You are currently in Madrid rehearsing the leading role of Soleá in “El Gato Montés,” for Christof Loy’s new production.

You are celebrated for your interpretations of Verdi and Puccini and are also the winner of the Zarzuela Prize at Operalia. What does it mean to perform a major Spanish masterpiece in the very heart of Madrid? How close is the passion of Spanish lyric theater to the Armenian temperament?

Mané Galoyan: Wow. Passion? Absolutely.

I love singing Spanish music, and its temperament feels very, very close to me. I think Armenians understand Spaniards quite naturally. I don’t know exactly why. Maybe because both cultures are warm. The people are warm. Everything is emotional, dramatic, sometimes almost over the top, over-drama!

Of course, it is a great honor to sing here in Madrid because zarzuela productions usually invite Spanish singers who know this genre instinctively and understand how to work within this tradition.

To be honest, I was a little nervous. I am not Spanish, I am not Latin American, and I am singing the leading role. We only have two casts, I am in the first one, and that’s it!

OW: And are you still nervous now?

MG: No. Before arriving, I was mostly nervous about how Spanish audiences would react to a foreign singer performing zarzuela. But everyone has welcomed me so warmly. The theater is amazing, the people are wonderful, and working here is a real pleasure.

And the music itself is beautiful. Of course, it does not sound like Puccini, but it has so much character. It is very charismatic, very soulful, and emotionally it feels very close to me.

OW: The entire run is sold out. This is one of Spain’s most beloved works for the stage, so congratulations on such a warm reception.

MG: Thank you. It is very nice to hear that.

OW: You have already worked with Christof Loy on the incredibly demanding “Turandot” in Basel. Loy is known for his minimalism and his psychological approach to characters. What kind of Soleá are you creating together this time? Is there still room for the traditional Spanish archetype, or is this a completely different drama?

MG: I have actually worked with Christof many times. We also did Verdi’s “Luisa Miller” and Zandonai’s “Francesca da Rimini” together. You understand what kind of characters those are.

What I love about Christof is that everything is concentrated on drama. The costumes are truly minimalist, the stage is never overloaded, but everything is carefully built for the singers. The entire focus is on the emotions and the story.

With him, there is never a moment when you think, “I will just stand here and sing because this is easier.” Everything has a reason.

And Soleá herself is a very complex role. The voice has to change very quickly, the emotions shift constantly, and the character herself is always adapting to circumstances and making decisions.

OW: So is she a very modern woman?

MG: She is extremely modern.

She is full of life and she brings that life into the world of the men around her. That is why they are so attracted to her. Rafael the torero is almost like a rock star, with this incredible energy and this almost overwhelming love. He wants to be with Soleá.

But she becomes a victim of the situation. Her emotions are powerful, sometimes contradictory, and full of extremes. I feel very lucky to have this character. I feel it every time I walk on stage.

OW: It seems that female characters in opera often become more contemporary than male ones. Male archetypes sometimes remain more fixed, while figures like Juliet continue to feel incredibly modern. Whether the meanings are old or new, women seem able to adapt to them and make them feel truthful on stage.

MG: Yes. In reality, it is not the romantic hero who decides everything. It is the woman. She decides whether to adapt, whether to fight, or whether to choose another path.

Female characters are sometimes easier to understand, but at the same time they allow you to discover many more layers. You can add different meanings to their actions, find different possibilities.

Male characters are often more fixed. They are what they are.

OW: Just recently, in April you conquered Deutsche Oper Berlin, performing two completely different roles in Puccini’s “Il trittico” in one evening: the tragic Suor Angelica and the lighthearted Lauretta. To sing “Senza mamma” and then return to the stage with “O mio babbino caro” is an extraordinary challenge, both vocally and psychologically. How did you transform yourself between these two completely different Puccini heroines within a few hours?

MG: Actually, I love all of them.

I hate when people ask me, “What is your focus? What kind of characters do you like to sing?” I always answer that I don’t have a focus.

I sing what I love, what works well for my voice, and what people enjoy hearing.

I don’t like when the industry puts singers into boxes. I had a season when I sang Pamina, Suor Angelica, and Gilda. All in one season. That does not happen very often, and I think it was a fantastic experience.

And going back to productions, I really love minimalism, but I also love when there are many sets and visual elements. When things are different, it is exciting. Sometimes I would even change a costume. Although, honestly, I usually have beautiful costumes.

Once, audiences were laughing when we came on stage. I watched the video later and thought, “What happened there? Maybe it was ugly, even if it was brilliant, and people just didn’t understand it.”

But today, years later, I watch it and think: this is one of my favorite productions. I still remember every image, every costume.

Even though it was not canonical and looked strange, beauty is not about perfection or gloss.

OW: Another question that is very important for opera audiences. Christof Loy and many other leading contemporary directors often ask singers for extraordinary physical commitment: singing while lying down, running, staying in uncomfortable positions. But in lyric-dramatic repertoire, proper breath support is everything. Have you ever experienced a situation where a director’s demands conflicted with vocal safety, or does it simply look that way from the audience?

MG: Not with Christof. He is very demanding, but he understands exactly where, when, and for how long you simply need to stand still. He is also a musician, so he would never do anything against the nature of the music or the singer.

With him, that has never happened.

In general, I always have a dialogue with the director. The goal is always to make the production as good as possible. It is a conversation we enjoy.

And if I have to stand on my head, I will do it. We just have to understand how and why.

Then I will sing standing on my head, or lying down, and the director will create something incredible. That is the joy of theater.

OW: Your voice has been described as “a lyric soprano with Verdi’s thunder.” You have sung Mozart’s Vitellia, Gilda, Violetta, and many other demanding roles. What would you like to sing next? Where is your wonderful voice leading you?

MG: You know, I really love singing.

I keep thinking about Electra, but not Strauss’s Elektra. I mean Mozart’s Elettra from “Idomeneo,” King of Crete. She is such a…fury!

It is an extremely challenging soprano role, but also one of the most fascinating, with incredible emotional weight. I would really love to sing it.

OW: Do you enjoy playing femme fatales, those powerful and dangerous women?

MG: Very much. I love all those romantic roles where you suffer, you love, you die. I really enjoy them.

With Verdi, I would love to sing “Il trovatore” and “Don Carlo.” But for now, I am trying to be careful. Those roles demand a lot from the voice, and your voice is something you have for your entire life.

It is important, as you said, to follow your voice and do everything at the right moment, with good preparation.

We are constantly changing and growing throughout our lives.

OW: You mentioned that you love Rosalía’s music, the artist who transformed local flamenco roots into a global phenomenon. Maestro Kent Nagano, who currently leads the National Orchestra of Spain, has also expressed admiration for her and believes her journey goes far beyond a passing trend. Do you think classical music, and Spanish zarzuela in particular, can make a similar bold leap into popular consciousness while preserving its depth and quality? What does contemporary opera need to do today?

MG: It is very difficult to mix opera with something else, I have to say. And if you do not know how to do it well, the result becomes something unclear, neither one thing nor another.

But I look at Eurovision, for example, and I see that there are many more excellent singers now, voices that are very close in scale to opera. Take JJ, for example.

This year there were many great singers, even a countertenor, and that is truly an operatic voice.

OW: It is a very interesting trend. Perhaps opera will also become closer to audiences if people become familiar with the richness and quality of the sound and melody. Why do you think this trend has appeared now?

MG: Because people miss real singing.

But the effort has to come from both sides.

OW: Opera houses and concert halls are built around a very specific acoustic experience, and opera itself is written so that the voice does not simply reach your ears. It creates a complex vibration through your entire body. It is not only physical, but intellectual. These are the harmonies and structures composers have created. The fact that some principles of operatic music are now appearing on popular stages is already very exciting.

MG: Yes, exactly.

And if we want to attract younger generations, we have to work completely different. I think marketing is one of the problems.

We need younger speakers, interviews with young professionals and artists, more direct communication. At least millennials, because they already have more experience, more musical knowledge, and they are open to contemporary music as well. And of course, young musicians.

Artists also need to present themselves well on social media, so people can watch, listen, and understand more.

For that, you only need good-quality filming and the desire to communicate with your audience.

OW: In other words, today’s opera singer is not only a professional vocalist. She is also an actress, a content creator, sometimes a producer, and someone who moves on stage with the confidence of a pop star. Does she still have time for herself? What do you enjoy doing outside music?

MG: I read, for example.

I love Murakami, and I also love Philip Pullman’s fantasy worlds, parallel universes, and visions of the future.

The Golden Compass is the story of a twelve-year-old girl who changes history, saves people, lives through endless adventures, grows up, and learns to communicate with completely different characters, including animals.

OW: Wow, like Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Another incredibly rich fantasy world, and such a beautiful one.

MG: Exactly. And I love Murakami because he is such an artistic writer.

Of course, I don’t have much time left for reading, but I try.

OW: I have two final questions. Today, every audience member sitting in the theater with an Instagram account can become a critic, and reviews on blogs often appear faster than professional analysis in the press. Do you read what people write about you after premieres? Are you vulnerable to criticism?

MG: If I say that it does not affect me at all, that would not be true.

A little, yes, I read. Honestly, my husband reads much more about me. If something is good, he sends it to me, and that’s it.

But sometimes people write very harsh things, so I don’t think it is healthy to read everything.

OW: Although people often say: more comments mean more interest.

MG: Probably, yes.

And more people will see it, discover the production and become interested in it.

But sometimes critics can also be extremely angry. They write emotionally. I don’t know, maybe they are angry at life, or at something else, or at someone…

But they are still people.

Okay, you did not like something. Write about it and explain your position. But being rude or insulting someone, especially as a professional in a public space, why?

Why be toxic?

OW: Although I imagine that theaters and companies inviting you probably have different criteria and do not judge artists based on online criticism.

MG: I don’t think theaters really read criticism in that way. They have other criteria.

Criticism is mostly for the audience. They can read it and decide what interests them.

If I need to improve something, if there is something I need to work on, I will do it with my director, my teacher, and my colleagues.

Of course, it is always pleasant to read something kind. It gives you positive emotions.

OW: And finally, if you could completely change your profession for one evening, what would you choose?

MG: I would be a doctor.

OW: A doctor? Seriously?

MG: Yes, a gynecologist and an obstetrician.

Why? Because it is incredible. I like the idea of working as a woman with women, helping them.

I wanted to become a doctor when I was a child, and also when I was a teenager.

And when children come into the world, it is truly magical.

OW: Then let there be more real magic in our lives and more wonderful art. Thank you to all the artists who create it.