Arizona Opera Cast Members & Creatives
René Barbera
Tenor René Barbera, a graduate of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, has swiftly established himself as a dominant presence in the opera world. In Placido Domingo’s Operalia 2011, he was awarded First Prize for Opera, First Prize for Zarzuela, and the Audience Prize. He is the first artist to be the sole recipient of all three awards since the competition began in 1993. Of his 2014 performances with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, as Nemorino in L’elisir d’Amore, the St. Louis Dispatch raved: “tenor René Barbera, born to sing bel canto, has gone far since his 2011 OTSL debut in “The Daughter of the Regiment,” performing all over the world…. On Saturday night he brought out Nemorino’s innate lovability while singing with melting beauty and an effortless high range. It’s no wonder Adina comes around.”
Mr. Barbera begins the 2015-16 season at San Diego Opera with his North American solo recital debut. Following this exciting new opportunity, he will perform the tenor solo in the Berlioz Te Deum with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. From there Se sings the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto with Piedmont Opera, Almaviva in The Barber of Seville with the San Francisco Opera, The Italian Tenor in Der Rosekavalier with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Don Ramiro in Rossini’s Cinderalla with Teatro Massimo di Palermo, and Almaviva in Teatro Comunale di Bologna’s production of Barber of Seville. To close the season, Mr. Barbera returns to the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro for his role debut of Narciso in Il Turco in Italia.
In addition, Mr. Barbera is thrilled to announce his Naxos release of William Bolcom’s Canciones de Lorca / Prometheus, in which he is the featured soloist.
Recently, he performed the role of Iopas in Berlioz’s Les Troyens with great success at San Francisco Opera, Tonio in The Daughter of the Regiment at Greensboro Opera, Nemorino in Elixer of Love with Opera Theater of St. Louis and Austin Lyric Opera, Il Duca di Mantua in Rigoletto with Opera Colorado, and Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Some of Mr. Barbera’s notable engagements include Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville with Teatro Dell’Opera di Roma (Caracalla) and Teatro San Carlo. In Rossini’s Cinderella, he has taken on the role of Don Ramiro with the San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and Seattle Opera. He made his company and role debut as Elvino in La Sonnambula with Washington Concert Opera and made his Santa Fe Opera debut as Rodrigo in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago.
