Mexico City, October 20, 2023. School of Fine Arts (EBA) of the Universidad Panamericanain conjunction with the San Miguel Met San Miguel Met Opera Trust A. C..held the Met Opera Laffont Competition Winners Concertin the auditorium of our school.
The objective of the event, according to Ragnar Conde, artistic and stage director of the concert, was to increase the presence and visibility of this important competition in Mexico City, which until now had been mainly framed in the city of San Miguel Allende, Guanajuato, which has hosted the five previous editions of Distrito Mexico.
Outstanding talents
The five winners of this year's competition were: sopranos Dulce Guadarrama and Cecilia Eguiarte, mezzo-soprano Mayela López, tenor Rafael Rojas and baritone Jorge Espinos.
All of them accompanied by the Panamericana Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maximiliano FloresThey performed arias, duets, trios, quartets and quintets by renowned composers such as Mozart, Donizetti, Verdi, Gounod, Bizet and Puccini, among others.
"The singers for the concert were selected from among the winners of the last five years, seeking to have a variety of tessituras and to explore a diverse repertoire that could showcase the full potential of the artists," says Ragnar.
He also states that these talents were chosen for their technical, vocal and interpretive quality by the panel of judges sent by the MetOpera, "which distinguishes them from thousands of other singers from Mexico, the United States and Canada who each year seek this opportunity," says the artistic and stage director.
Challenges for opera in Mexico
Ragnar states that, although there is an enormous number of high quality opera singers in our country, there are very few productions of this genre each year, so the possibilities of developing a career singing exclusively in Mexico are greatly reduced.
"Until recently, it was very difficult to find channels for those who wanted to go abroad to be heard, because it is not only expensive to prepare, but also to travel to audition in other countries, mainly in Europe," he reveals.
Through the Met Opera Laffont Competition's Mexico District, a structured pathway is offered to help these young talents develop an international career.
This "provides the opportunity to be admitted to the artist-in-residence program, a highly visible platform for an international career," says the artistic director.
Cultural and artistic impact
Ragnar affirms that this presentation undoubtedly lets the public know the high level of Mexican singers, who are standing out among their peers at an international level.
He also stresses that the most important thing is that these talents "have become a role model for the new generations, by showing alternatives to develop an international career" .
With these events, Panamericana, through EBA, reaffirms its commitment to contribute to the development of Fine Arts in all its manifestations, as this will impact the construction of a better society for all.
Learn more about ABE's academic offerings at: https://www.up.edu.mx/universidad-escuela-de-bellas-artes/
