Mexico City, May 19, 2025. The School of Fine Arts (EBA) of the Universidad Panamericana has reached a new milestone in its artistic trajectory with the presentation of its third operatic production: The Marriage of Figarothe iconic classic by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
This staging, which took place from May 15 to 18 at CENART's Theater of the Arts CENART's Teatro de las Artesnot only demonstrated the talent of the students of the the talent of the students of the Bachelor's degree in Music and InnovationThe show not only demonstrated the talent of the students of the Music and Innovation degree program, but also Panamericana's commitment to the training of professional and enterprising artists.
A high-level collaborative effort
Under the concerted direction of Luis Manuel Sánchez y Mariano García Valladaresa graduate of the Escuela de Bellas Artes de la Panamericana, and stage direction by Mauricio García Lozano y Miguel Santa Ritathe production included the participation of the Universidad Panamericana Symphonic OrchestraSymphony Orchestra, in charge of accompanying the four performances.
The soprano Gabriela Herrerawho served as musical-vocal director y general producerGabriela Herrera, who served as vocal-music director and general producer, excelled in her work both in the vocal preparation of the students and in the artistic coordination of the project.
Herrera shared his experience at the helm of this ambitious production: "Although participating in opera productions is very demanding, it fills me with happiness to be part of them."
"This is our third opera production, and the cast has been involved for a year and a half in vocal and musical preparation, given the high difficulty of the work. the cast has been involved for a year and a half in vocal and musical preparation, given the work's high difficulty"he added.
Challenges and achievements in Mozartian interpretation.
The soprano explained that one of the biggest challenges was to adapt the vocal style of the students, accustomed to more romantic repertoires such as Puccini, to the technical and stylistic demands of Mozart.
"In Mexico, singers tend to be more familiar with Italian works, which generates a different vocal production: less floaty and less sweet. My job was to get the students to create sounds that were more suitable for Mozart"Herrera said.
On the stage, Maestro Mauricio García Lozano worked for a year with the students to develop naturalness in their performances. "Mozart's characters are extremely human, and that humanity must be reflected in their interpretation," added Herrera.added Herrera, who also highlighted the collaboration of the teachers Vivian Cruz y Miguel Santa Rita in this process.
Overcoming obstacles with creativity
Mounting a university opera of this magnitude was not without logistical and academic challenges. Herrera mentioned that, not being a professional opera house, it was crucial to carefully evaluate the available voices and select a work that matched its capabilities..
In addition, attendance at rehearsals was a recurring theme: "Sometimes students have other academic responsibilities, so we had to be flexible and adjust plans so they could accomplish everything.".
Despite these challenges, the result was a production that reflected the high artistic and technical level of the participants.. "This work is a huge challenge, but also an opportunity for the students to grow as musicians and artists," said Herrera.said Herrera.
The relevance of The Marriage of Figaro in the 21st century
Herrera did not hesitate to qualify The Marriage of Figaro as a timeless masterpiece. "It's great and a lot of fun. The music is beautiful, the plot is entertaining and the musical challenge is immense .. Many of its arias are requisite in international competitions, and the overture is a must-have piece for orchestra auditions all over the world ,"he said.
Comprehensive training with artistic and social impact
The School of Fine Arts of the Universidad Panamericana seeks for its students to be not only performers, but transforming artists. This staging was not only an artistic achievement, but also an opportunity for integral development. "We want our students not only to acquire technical knowledge, but also to develop a passion for creating beauty and new artistic paradigms," concluded the music-video director.concluded the musical-vocal director.
This production consolidates EBA as a national reference in university art education and shows the power of art as a tool for education and social transformation.
Learn more about the Universidad Panamericana School of Fine Arts at: https://eba.up.edu.mx/
