Rolando Villazón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rolando Villazón
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Villazón during a recital at the Teatro Real Madrid, 2014
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| Born | 22 February 1972 Fuentes de Satélite, Mexico
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| Occupation | Opera singer (tenor) |
| Years active | 1999–present |
Rolando Villazón Mauleón (born 22 February 1972) is a famous Mexican opera singer. He is known as a tenor, which means he sings the highest male voice in opera. Rolando is also a stage director, author, and a personality on radio and TV. He lives in France and became a French citizen in 2007.
Rolando has written several books, including novels like Malabares. These books have been translated into other languages. He is also a member of a special group in Paris called the Collège de 'Pataphysique.
Contents
Early life and discovery
Rolando grew up in Fuentes de Satélite, a suburb near Mexico City. He once shared a fun story about how he started singing opera. One day, as he was leaving his shower, someone knocked on his door. It was a friend of his neighbor, a singer named Arturo Nieto. Arturo had heard Rolando singing in the shower and was amazed by his voice! He invited Rolando to his music school. That's where Rolando fell in love with opera.
Opera career
Starting out in the late 1990s
Rolando Villazón became famous around the world in 1999. He won second prize in a big singing contest called Operalia, created by the famous singer Plácido Domingo. He also won other awards at the competition. That same year, he sang in Italy for the first time in an opera called Manon.
In the early 2000s, he performed in many major opera houses. He sang in Berlin, Munich, and Los Angeles. He also performed at the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Some of his famous roles included Rodolfo in La bohème and Alfredo in La traviata.
Big performances and a break
From 2005 to 2010, Rolando sang regularly in the world's most important opera houses. In 2005, he gave a very popular performance in La traviata at the Salzburg Festival. He sang alongside Anna Netrebko, another famous opera singer. They also performed together in L'elisir d'amore in Vienna. These performances were even released on DVD! They also sang in big concerts that were shown on TV around the world.
Vocal surgery and comeback
Between 2007 and 2009, Rolando had to cancel many shows. He had a problem with his voice. In May 2009, he announced that he needed surgery to remove a small growth on one of his vocal cords.
After his surgery and recovery, he returned to the stage in March 2010. He sang in L'elisir d'amore in Vienna. He then started doing many concerts. In December 2012, he returned to the Royal Opera House in London to sing Rodolfo in La bohème.
Since 2010, Rolando has also performed many roles in operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He has sung in operas like Don Giovanni and Il re pastore. In 2014, he released an album with only Mozart songs.
Recent years (2015-today)
Rolando Villazón continues to perform on the world's biggest stages. He has added many different roles to his list of performances. In 2016, he sang in an opera called "Juliette ou la clé des songes". He also sang in L'Orfeo in 2016 and 2023.
In 2017, he sang in Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. In 2018, he performed in Pelléas et Mélisande (opera). In 2021, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 2022, he made a big debut as Loge in Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold.
In 2018, Rolando became the artistic director of the Mozart Week festival in Salzburg. This means he helps plan and organize the festival. His contract has been extended until 2028.
Stage directing
Rolando Villazón also directs operas. This means he helps decide how the singers move and how the stage looks. He first directed an opera called Werther in 2011. Since then, he has directed many other operas. These include L'elisir d'amore, La traviata, and The Barber of Seville.
Recordings and TV appearances
Besides singing on stage, Rolando has recorded many albums. He has released over 20 CDs and DVDs with Deutsche Grammophon, a famous music company. These recordings have won many awards. He has also sung in complete recordings of six operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Rolando has also appeared on TV. In 2010, he was a judge on a show called Popstar to Operastar. From 2012 to 2015, he hosted the German Echo Klassik awards. Since 2011, he has hosted his own TV show called "Stars of tomorrow" on Arte TV. He also hosts shows on radio in Germany and France.
In 2024, Rolando appeared in the movie Cabrini as an Italian opera singer.
Discography
Rolando Villazón has recorded many albums throughout his career. Some of his notable recordings include:
- Italian Opera Arias (2004)
- Gounod & Massenet Arias (2005)
- La Traviata (2005)
- Gitano (2007)
- Duets with Anna Netrebko (2007)
- Cielo e Mar (2008)
- ¡México! (2010)
- Villazón Verdi (2012)
- Treasures of Belcanto (2015)
- Serenata Latina (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Rolando Villazón para niños
