Internationally renowned coloratura soprano Lisette Oropesa has compiled a programme including works by French and Spanish composers from the turn of the 20th century. The final concert in the 2023/24 series of Stars' recital with piano also features Rubén Fernández Aguirre on the piano on 12 May 2024 at the Hungarian State Opera.
Born in New Orleans to Cuban parents, Lisette Oropesa initially trained to be a flutist, but at the encouragement of her mother, an opera singer and music teacher, she enrolled in the vocal studies programme of the University of Louisiana. In 2005, as a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera singing competition, she was given the chance to participate in a training course for young artists. A year later, she made her debut before the American audience in minor roles in Idomeneo and Suor Angelica. Her first leading role came at the age of 22: she partnered Erwin Schrott as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and has made regular appearances at the famous opera house of New York since then.
The coloratura soprano is also a frequent guest in European opera houses from Cardiff to Paris, Geneva to Milan and Vienna. This season, she sang the title role of La traviata in Tokyo with the ensemble of the Roman Opera, as well as at the Vienna State Opera House, where she also portrayed Matilda in Guillaume Tell, and she made her debut at the Chicago Opera and Rome in the title role of La fille du régiment and as Amina in La sonnambula, respectively. Her first-ever appearance in Hungary is part of a concert tour, which includes prestigious opera houses and concert halls of Paris, Milan, Barcelona, London, Vienna, New York, and Budapest. The core of her repertoire includes works by Mozart, Donizetti, and Verdi, but she performed in numerous baroque opera productions and almost all the important oratorios from Bach to Orff. In addition to her career as an opera singer, she is an active marathon runner and co-authored a book on sports and vegan lifestyle as well.
The first part of her programme features Spanish songs by French composers such as Bizet, Collet, Délibes, Gounod, Massenet, and Ravel. The second part is dedicated to late romantic Spanish composers inspired by the folk music of their origin including Manuel De Falla, Enrique Granados, Joaquin Rodrigo, Francisco Asenjo Barbieri, Jesús Guridi, and Ruperto Chapí.
Accompanying Oropesa is Spanish pianist Rubén Fernández Aguire, a frequent accompanist at the sopranos recitals. They have made several recordings together over the years. The pianist is a sought-after artists who has appeared with leading soloists at the most renowned concert venues and has been the official accompanist of Plácido Domingo's Operalia. Ópera Actual awarded his dedication to opera in 2010.
Photo by Steven Harris
