Rolando Villazón

Through his acclaimed performances with leading opera houses and orchestras around the world, Rolando Villazón, a native of Mexico, has established himself as one of the most sought-after tenors of our day. A special hallmark is his versatility: in addition to his onstage roles, he also maintains successful careers as a stage director, novelist, and TV personality. Rolando Villazón’s musical career began after he won several awards during the 1999 Plácido Domingo Operalia competition, including the Zarzuela Award and the Audience Award. In the same year he made his European debut as Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, as well as two other important debuts: as Alfredo in Verdi’s La traviata at the Opéra National de Paris and as Macduff in Macbeth at the Berlin Staatsoper. Rolando Villazón is a regular guest on such stages as the Munich and Vienna Staatsoper companies, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House in London, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, as well as at the Salzburg Festival. He frequently collaborates with leading orchestras and conductors such as Daniel Barenboim and Yannick Nézet-Séguin on concert stages all over the world. Rolando Villazón made his directing debut in 2011 in Lyon and has since directed productions for the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Vienna Volksoper. An exclusive recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon since 2007, Rolando Villazón has recorded over 20 CDs and DVDs, which have received numerous prizes. He is also a Chévalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France (one of the highest distinctions conferred on artists by France, where he resides), acts as ambassador for the Red Noses Clown Doctors International charity, and is a member of the Collège de Pataphysique de Paris.

February 2016