Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page A5

December 14, 2019

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Feature » People

Opera superstar takes Shanghai by storm

By Ma Yue | 00:05 UTC+8 December 14, 2019 | Print Edition

Twenty-three years after making his professional debut, Peruvian operatic tenor Juan Diego Florez finally embarked on his maiden Asian tour, bringing his mellifluous voice to Shanghai on the third stop of his China appearances.

The world-renowned tenor, accompanied by Italian-American pianist Vincenzo Scalera, performed classic arias by Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Lehar and Puccini in a Shanghai recital last week at a packed Shanghai Grand Theater.

“I notice that Asian audiences follow orchestral music frequently, and I wanted to bring them something different,” said Florez, 46, who is recognized as one of the world’s current top three tenors, along with Jonas Kaufmann and Rolando Villazon.

“European opera audience are older,” he said. “I’m happy to see so many young audiences here and on my previous stop in Shenzhen. Some of them reacted as passionately as if they were watching a rock concert. Opera has a broad and young market here.”

Florez was born in Lima, inheriting his father’s vocal talent and love for Latin American music. His mother managed a pub with live music, and he often filled in when the main attraction was ill. Initially, Florez focused on pop, rock and Peruvian music.

Eying a career in popular music, he entered the National Conservatory of Music in Lima at age 17. There, his talent as a classical singer emerged.

He won a scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at age 20 and studied there for four years, during which he was given opportunities to sing in a number of operas.

He also studied with renowned mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne at the Music Academy of the West in California.

In 1994, Peruvian tenor Ernesto Palacio invited him to Italy to work on an opera recording. Palacio subsequently became his mentor.

Once considered a Rossini specialist, Florez in more recent years has been venturing into the bel canto repertory. He has appeared in most of the world’s most famous opera houses and made numerous recordings.

In a chat with Shanghai media, Florez shared some of his stories of life as a sought-after tenor.

Q: You started your classical music career relatively late. What prompted that decision?

A: I didn’t plan to become a tenor at first. Neither did my parents show much interest toward opera. I have to say that opera “conquered” me. I found that I really love that way of using my voice to express myself. But to enter the opera realm requires a long learning process. I can say that 90 percent of that depended on me and the rest depended on really good teachers.

Q: When did you become confident of your performing talent?

A: It was at the 1996 Rossini Opera Festival, when I was 23. A tenor who was due to sing the lead role of Corradino in “Matilde di Shabran” had to pull out because of illness before the festival’s opening night. The organizers began to search for a stand-in, and it was not easy given that it was a little-known opera. I was offered the role, and the performance was a success. It was the important start of my career. After that, I was noticed by a lot of opera houses and made my debut at Teatro alla Scala a few months later.

Q: Is there any unforgettable “accident” on stage during a performance?

A: Actually, there were a lot. The most interesting one occurred when I was performing “Le Barbier de Seville” at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. I was wearing a long priest’s gown with a lot of buttons and was supposed to walk onto the stage through a door. There was a hook on the door and it caught on my gown. I pulled hard and the gown tore. There I was in a T-shirt, and shorts! But I still walked onto the stage and started singing. Both the conductor and I started laughing heartily after I finished that piece, and the audience had a really good time. It was quite unforgettable.

Q: What are the opera roles you consider your best?

A: I’m a leggero tenor, so I sing lyric music more often, as well as French romantic operas. The pieces I sing often include “Romeo and Juliet,” “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” “Faust,” “La Traviata,” “Rigoletto” and “La Boheme.” But I never stopped practicing bel canto. After all, that’s what helped me become who I am today. I’m not restricted to Rossini now, but I still perform it from time to time.

Q: A top tenor must be strictly disciplined. How do you prepare for a performance?

A: I don’t meet anybody the day before a concert to try avoid talking. I eat simple, plain food and try to rest well after taking flights. I have a humidifier in my luggage to assure the humidity level in a hotel room. I eat quinoa, which is produced in Peru, to protect my throat.

My schedule is arranged by my agent. We do one or two new operas every year. I live in Vienna, but I go back to Peru often for my musical foundation for children. About 9,000 children are waiting for me there. It’s important to make reasonable arrangements since I have family and kids to take care of. I don’t like very tight schedules. For me singing is not only a job, it’s also a hobby.

Q: Do you have advice for aspiring opera singers?

A: I teach masterclasses myself. From my experience, there is no specific skill in opera. Every singer is unique. Some need to open their voices; some don’t. Some need to lift their voice over the head, some need to breathe more heavily and some need to do the opposite. Everyone has his or her own talent. It’s important to find a good teacher who can spot the distinguishing characteristic of a student and teach accordingly.

People


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend