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Marcelo Raúl Álvarez (born February 27, 1962) is an Argentine
lyric tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below mi ...
who achieved international success starting in the mid-1990s. Álvarez travels widely, performing with top singers in major opera houses and concert halls around the world. Since the beginning of his career in 1994, he has maintained an active touring schedule and debuted in 34 roles. In addition to his opera and solo recordings, he has made an album honoring the popular songs of Argentine tango legend
Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inter ...
, as well as an album of classical duets with Salvatore Licitra. He has won notable awards for vocal performance and is considered one of the top tenors of his generation, receiving high acclaimSeckerson, Edward
“The Rapture of Restraint, Werther, Royal Opera House, London”
''The Independent'', Sep 24, 2004. Retrieved Feb 9, 2009.
for his passionate yet refined delivery in ''
bel canto , )—with several similar constructions (, , , pronounced in English as )—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing, and whose definitions have often been misunderstood. ''Bel canto'' was not only seen as a vocal technique ...
'' roles,
French opera French opera is both the art of opera in France and opera in the French language. It is one of Europe's most important operatic traditions, containing works by composers of the stature of Rameau, Berlioz, Gounod, Bizet, Massenet, Debussy, Ra ...
, and as of 2006, more dramatic ''lirico pieno'' (full lyric) and '' spinto'' roles. He lives with his wife and son near
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Italy.


Early years

Álvarez was born in
Córdoba, Argentina Córdoba () is a city in central Argentina, in the foothills of the Punilla Valley, Sierras Chicas on the Primero River, Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province, Argentina, Córdoba Province an ...
. As a boy of five, he was enrolled in ''La Escuela de Niños Cantores de Córdoba'' where he studied music until age 17 and received his diploma in music education. In spite of this musical background, he went on to study economics at university, and for 12 years the study of music was completely out of his life. After his university studies, he became a manager of his family's furniture factory in Córdoba.


Repertoire


Early career

Álvarez always liked singing and often imitated popular singers’ voices for the enjoyment of his friends, even winning them free drinks in pubs.Ashley, Tim
“My Other Voice is the Bee Gees”
''The Guardian Unlimited'', Nov 27, 2003. Retrieved Jan 27, 2009.
He was 30 years old when his wife suggested that he sing opera. At the time, he did not know much about opera at all, but in 1992 he started commuting to
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
for voice lessons with Norma Risso. It was a 12-hour trip by bus, but he was determined. Ms. Risso was so impressed with her student that she told him that within five years he would be singing all over the world, a prediction that proved accurate.Pritchard, Jim
“With Heart and Soul - Marcelo Álvarez, Covent Garden’s Don José, talks to Jim Pritchard”
''Seen and Heard International's Worldwide Concert and Opera Reviews'', 2008. Retrieved Jan 27, 2009.
He had several unsuccessful auditions at the
Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón () is a historic opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoustics expert Leo Beranek among leadin ...
in Buenos Aires. By fortunate coincidence, the legendary tenor Giuseppe di Stefano heard him at one of those auditions and urged him to go to Italy. "You have good instincts; you remind me of myself when I was a young man", di Stefano told him. Turning to the other people present, di Stefano commented, "this young man sings with his heart, he will have a great career!"Hall, George. "Marcelo Álvarez, interview"
‘‘Opera’’
Sep 2004.
During this time, Álvarez had some performances in small houses in Argentina. His first stage role was as a late-replacement Count Almaviva in
Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano p ...
's ''
Il barbiere di Siviglia ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( ) is an ''opera buffa'' (comic opera) in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy '' ...
'' in Córdoba in June 1994. He then performed in Federico Moreno Torroba's zarzuela '' Luisa Fernanda'' with Ismael Pons at th
Teatro Avenida
in Buenos Aires, a venue that features mostly that uniquely Spanish form of musical theater. Ismael Pons invited him to perform another zarzuela,
Marina (zarzuela)
', i

the next year and recommended him to Spanish baritone Juan Pons In the 1980s and ‘90s, world-famous Italian tenor
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...
held worldwide talent auditions in hi
Pavarotti International Voice Competition
When he came to Buenos Aires and heard Álvarez audition in 1994, he immediately invited him to Philadelphia for the finals of the competition the following year.Gurewitsch, Matthew

''The New York Times'', Nov 22, 1998. Retrieved Jan 27, 2009.
While still in Argentina, Álvarez starred in
Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''bel canto'' opera ...
's ''
L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's (1831). ...
'' at the Teatro Roma in Buenos Aires (December 1994). These early performances enabled him to cultivate his voice and acting skills, and with the confidence he gained from those beginning experiences and the enthusiastic encouragement from di Stefano and Pavarotti, he and his wife decided to sell everything they owned and move to Europe to expand his opportunities for a career as an opera singer. Álvarez came to Europe in 1995 and was quickly involved in a whirlwind of activity. He went to Spain and performed the zarzuela ''Marina'' and then moved to Milan in July. A mere seven days after his arrival in Italy, Álvarez won a voice competition in
Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...
, and within a month he had landed contracts with the
Teatro La Fenice Teatro La Fenice (; "The Phoenix (mythology), Phoenix Theatre") is a historic opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of "the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre" and in the history of opera as a whole. Especial ...
in
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
and the Teatro Carlo Felice in
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
. His La Fenice debut was in September of that year. The management gave him his choice of what he would like to perform for his role and house debut and he selected the challenging role of Elvino in Bellini's ''
La sonnambula ''La sonnambula'' (; ''The Sleepwalker'') is an opera semiseria in two acts, with music in the ''bel canto'' tradition by Vincenzo Bellini set to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on a scenario for a ''ballet-pantomime'' written by Eu ...
''.Anthonisen, Jørn H
“Tenor Library – Marcelo Álvarez”
''Grandi-Tenori.com'', Sep 21, 2000. Retrieved Jan 30, 2009.
Following this highly praised debut, he received offers from opera houses throughout Europe to perform six new roles, all of which he debuted in 1997. In addition, Italian
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
Franca Mattiucci was his artistic advisor during this time.


Professional Career, 1995–1999

As a result of his rising popularity and enthusiastic critical praise, Álvarez was engaged to appear at high-visibility venues throughout the world from the very start of his career. He debuted in a demanding number of new roles in Italian bel canto and French operas, completing ten role debuts during the first five years of his career and marking his rapid ascent onto the international scene. Alfredo in '' La traviata'' and The Duke in ''
Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...
'' became his signature roles for this time period, with 150 performances of each of them.Table listing all Marcelo Álvarez’s performances since 1994
Retrieved from German fan site Jan 27, 2009.
In 1996 he was understudy for the role of Alfredo in
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...
's ''La traviata'' in Genoa. On opening night Álvarez was in the auditorium to watch the performance when he was told the tenor was ill and he had to go on immediately to replace him. This role debut paired him with the much-admired Italian soprano
Mariella Devia Mariella Devia (born 12 April 1948) is an Italian operatic soprano. After beginning her career as a lyric coloratura soprano, in the finale part of it she also enjoyed considerable success with some of the most dramatic roles in the bel canto re ...
. Within the next three years he sang his Alfredo in houses all around the world, from Hamburg to London, Tokyo, and Vienna. At the end of 1998, his house debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York was in a new
Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019) was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II e ...
production of ''La traviata,'' alongside American soprano Patricia Racette. He also performed ''La traviata'' with Ruth Ann Swenson at the
Théâtre antique d'Orange The Roman Theatre of Orange (French: Théâtre antique d'Orange) is a Roman theatre in Orange, Vaucluse, France. It was built early in the 1st century AD. The structure is owned by the municipality of Orange and is the home of the summer opera fe ...
in Orange, France and with Christina Gallardo-Domas at the
Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the ...
in 1999. He was a last minute replacement for
Alfredo Kraus Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (; 24 November 192710 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary Islands (known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles. He was ...
in the role of Arturo in Bellini's ''
I puritani ' (''The Puritans'') is an 1835 opera by Vincenzo Bellini. It was originally written in two acts and changed to three acts before the premiere on the advice of Gioachino Rossini, with whom the young composer had become friends. The music was set ...
'' in
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, Italy, in February 1997. His big break came in the spring of 1997 in Genoa when he stepped in for Kraus again, this time in the lead role in Massenet's ''
Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel ''The S ...
''. The entire Italian press covered this premiere and raved about the new tenor.Emerick, Laura
“A tenor to die for, whether on stage or off”
''Chicago Sun-Times'', Feb 22, 2004.
He got the attention of Sony Classical and they signed him to an exclusive recording contract, producing six CDs in six years. He sang his first performance as the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's ''Rigoletto'' in
Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
, Italy (role and house debut) in 1997. Multiple productions of ''Rigoletto'' followed over the next three years in
Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
,
Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
, Buenos Aires,
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
(a June 1999 performance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie that was televised live throughout Europe), New York, and Paris. In 1997, London's
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...
(sometimes referred to as ''Covent Garden'', due to its location) was refurbished and performances were held at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
during construction. As a result, Álvarez made his London debut in a concert of Donizetti's ''
Linda di Chamounix ''Linda di Chamounix'' is an operatic '' melodramma semiserio'' in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Gaetano Rossi. It premiered in Vienna, at the Kärntnertortheater, on 19 May 1842. Performance history ' ...
'' at the Royal Albert Hall in November of that year. His "debut proper" at the Royal Opera House of London was in September, 2000 in Offenbach's ''
Les contes d'Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in ...
''.Sutcliffe, Tom. “Just Short of Perfection”, ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'', Oct 2, 2000.
Álvarez performs in London often and has remarked that the city holds a special place in his heart because, "that is the first place that audiences shouted out my name." Álvarez traveled to Buenos Aires in the spring of 1999 for production of the award-winning documentary film, ''Marcelo Álvarez In Search of Gardel''. The film chronicles the making of Álvarez's CD, ''Marcelo Álvarez Sings Gardel'', which offers a modern audience the most famous tangos, while honoring the spirit and style of legendary ''tanguero''
Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inter ...
. The songs on this album, originally recorded by Gardel before his early death in 1935, are among the oldest tangos and have a classical foundation, having been inspired by the music of Chopin,
Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...
and
Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
.


2000–2015

The second decade of Álvarez's career saw continued upward momentum, both in the number of new roles added and in the types of projects in which he engaged. The majority of his professional recordings were made during this time and he continued in his demanding live performance schedule. He debuted as Werther in Massenet's ''Werther'' in 1997, and then performed that role in a total of eight opera houses, including London, Vienna, and Munich, over the next nine years. Another role that he performed widely was Edgardo in Donizetti's ''
Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...
'', appearing in ten opera houses in just six years. Major houses for this role included the Met, the
Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox (Chicago opera), Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, w ...
, the
Zurich Opera House The Zurich Opera House () is an opera house in the Swiss city of Zurich. Located at the Sechseläutenplatz, it has been the home of the Zurich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zürich. It is also home to Ballett Zürich. I ...
, and the
National Theatre Munich The National Theatre () on Max-Joseph-Platz in Munich, Germany, is a historic opera house, home of the Bavarian State Opera, Bavarian State Orchestra and the Bavarian State Ballet. With 2,101 seats, the theatre is the country's largest op ...
. In January 2001, Álvarez sang his first American recital at the Folly Theater in
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
presented by th
Harriman-Jewell Series
which is noteworthy for introducing new singing talent to North America. Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti made his professional recital debut on the Series in 1973, followed by other notable singers making their U.S. recital debuts over the years, including Mexican
Francisco Araiza José Francisco Araiza Andrade (born 4 October 1950) is a Mexican operatic tenor and lied singer who has sung as soloist in leading concert halls and in leading tenor operatic roles in the major opera houses of Europe and North America during the ...
(1982), Canadian Ben Heppner (1997), Peruvian
Juan Diego Flórez Juan Diego Flórez (born Juan Diego Flórez Salom, January 13, 1973) is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the ''Knight Grand Cross in t ...
(2002), and Italian Salvatore Licitra(2005). In the autumn of 2001, Álvarez portrayed the Duke in Scottish director David McVicar's new production of ''Rigoletto'' at the Royal Opera House in London with Italian baritone Paolo Gavanelli and German soprano Christine Schäfer. He performed in another McVicar production in 2009, this time in Verdi's '' Il trovatore'' at the Met with Sondra Radvanovsky, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Dolora Zajick. Álvarez made his house debut at Milan's
Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was a church). The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri's ''Europa r ...
in a 1998 production of ''
Linda di Chamounix ''Linda di Chamounix'' is an operatic '' melodramma semiserio'' in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Gaetano Rossi. It premiered in Vienna, at the Kärntnertortheater, on 19 May 1842. Performance history ' ...
'' with American soprano Laura Claycomb, who was also making her La Scala debut. In January 2002, he sang Alfredo in ''La traviata'' with Inva Mula in the inaugural performance of the new
Teatro degli Arcimboldi The ''Teatro degli Arcimboldi'' is a theatre and opera house in Milan. It was built over a 27-month period in anticipation of the closure and subsequent nearly three-year-long renovation of Milan's La Scala opera house in December 2001. It is lo ...
in Milan, which was the temporary home for La Scala until 2004. He had additional performances at the Arcimboldi in 2002 and 2003 in role debuts of Donizetti's ''
Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was an Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She was a former governor of Spoleto. Her family arranged ...
'' and
Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, s ...
's ''
La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...
''. That production of ''La bohème'' with Cristina Gallardo-Domas was by Franco Zeffirelli and had originally been created for Luciano Pavarotti.Baxter, Robert
DVD Review of Puccini - La Bohème recording of the Feb 2003 performance at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi
''Opera News'', Jun 2005. Retrieved Feb 5, 2009.
In June 2003, Álvarez and Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra released ''Duetto'', a collection of romantic ballads based on opera arias and other classical melodies, some of which were composed specifically for them to sing.''Duetto'' CD liner notes, 2003. They gave a concert of selections from ''Duetto'' at the Roman Colosseum, which was broadcast in the U.S. on PBS public television. Later that summer, Álvarez and Licitra went to New York and gave a concert-in-the-park of ''Duetto'' selections in New York's
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
, to an audience of over 50,000 people. Álvarez has performed with some of the world's most celebrated sopranos. In addition to those already mentioned, he performed opposite American soprano
Renée Fleming Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano and actress, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nom ...
in 2001 in Massenet's ''
Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was f ...
'' at the L’Opéra de la Bastille in Paris and at the Met in 2005. In 2002, he sang in ''Lucie de Lammermoor'' with Italian soprano Patrizia Ciofi at the
Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a ...
in Paris, a French version that Donizetti created especially for Paris audiences. And in 2003, he performed with highly regarded Slovak soprano Edita Gruberova in Munich in ''Lucia di Lammermoor''. 2006 marked the beginning of Álvarez's transition into a more dramatic '' lirico spinto'' repertoire and he has had some of his best success with it. He debuted in the role of Manrico in Verdi's '' Il trovatore'' in
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
, Italy, a venue that is notoriously critical of tenors. Álvarez happily reports that the audience took home their tomatoes intact, choosing not to throw them at him when he gave a performance that met their high standards. The following month he made his role debut as Cavaradossi in Puccini's ''
Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
'' at the Royal Opera House in London, performing with Romanian soprano
Angela Gheorghiu Angela Gheorghiu (; ; born 7 September 1965) is a Romanian soprano, especially known for her performances in the operas of Puccini and Verdi, widely recognised by critics and opera lovers as one of the greatest sopranos of all time. Embarking ...
and Welsh bass-baritone
Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel Jones (; born 9 November 1965), is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and ''Don Giovanni,'' but he has subsequ ...
. He continued in the role of Cavaradossi at the
Arena di Verona The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheatre located in the historic center of Verona, an iconic symbol of the Venetian city alongside the figures of Romeo and Juliet. It stands as one of the grand structures that defined Roman architecture and i ...
with Fiorenza Cedolins and bass-baritone
Ruggero Raimondi Ruggero Raimondi (born 3 October 1941) is an Italian bass-baritone opera singer who has also appeared in motion pictures. Life and career Early training and career Ruggero Raimondi was born in Bologna, Italy, during World War II. His voice matu ...
Pines, Roger
DVD Review of Puccini - Tosca, Jul 2006 performance at the Arena di Verona
''Opera News'', Apr 2008. Retrieved Feb 9, 2009.
in a new large-scale production by Argentine directo

2008 saw multiple productions of Bizet's ''
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...
'' as Álvarez brought his Don José to the Met with Russian mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina as Carmen; the Royal Opera House in London with Nancy Fabiola Herrera of Spain; with Russia's Julia Gertseva in Florence at the
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (literal English translation: 'Florence Musical May') is an annual Italian arts festival in Florence, including a notable opera festival, under the auspices of the Opera di Firenze. The festival occurs between late A ...
, and with France's Béatrice Uria-Monzon in Orange, France. His original debut as Rodolfo in Verdi's ''
Luisa Miller ''Luisa Miller'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play '' Kabale und Liebe'' (''Intrigue and Love'') by the German dramatist Friedrich von Schiller. Verdi's initial idea f ...
'' was in London in 2003, with further performances over the next five years in
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, Parma and
Valencia, Spain Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
in 2008 with Greek soprano Alexia Voulgaridou. Álvarez opened the 2009-2010 season of the Met as Cavaradossi in Puccini's ''
Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
'', co-starring with soprano Karita Mattila and baritone George Gagnidze. It was a controversial new production by Swiss director Luc Bondy, replacing
Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019) was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II e ...
's lavish production that the Met had used for 24 years. The premiere performance was broadcast at no charge to over 3,000 people on a giant outdoor screen in Lincoln Center's Josie Robertson Plaza and on multiple screens in New York's Times Square for over 2,000 people. A later performance was broadcast in October as part of the Met's HD series, with distribution throughout the United States and 39 other countries. In 2011, Álvarez appeared at the Met as Manrico in '' Il trovatore'' (also transmitted in HD). He debuted as Don Alvaro in '' La forza del destino'' in Paris in November of that year. Then in 2012 Álvarez performed his 10th role at the Met, Radames in Verdi's Aida, with Violeta Urmana. October 11, 2015 marked Álvarez's first appearance on the West coast of the United States, between performances in
Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...
at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House. He performed a solo concert near Los Angeles on the Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. This performance was part of the Celebrity Opera Recitals program funded by the Lloyd E. Rigler – Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation, known for generous gifts and support of classical music and opera, notably the creation of the Classic Art Showcase, which is available 24 hours a day on more than 500 channels in the United States, as well as online at ClassicArtsShowcase.or


Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Performances

In August 2006, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City brought in its new general manager, Peter Gelb. He had a vision for expanding audiences for the opera via multiple platforms, including the bold concept of broadcasting live performances in high-definition video to theaters and venues throughout the world. The first transmission of these live Saturday matinée performances was a condensed English-language version of Mozart's The Magic Flute on December 30, 2006. These broadcasts are part of the Met's outreach to new audiences and have become increasingly successful each year, with almost 2,000 screens in over 60 countries broadcasting as of 2013. Marcelo Álvarez has appeared in several HD Live performances, listed below:


Complete Repertoire

Despite a relatively late start singing opera professionally at age 32, Álvarez has been committed to cultivating his career carefully, both in the types of roles he takes on and the progression of styles in which he engages. He puts a high priority on maintaining the principles of ''bel canto'' – a smooth vocal line, volume modulations, and vocal expression of emotions - all while preserving the tonal quality of the voice.


Discography (CD)

* ''Bel Canto'', 1998, Sony Classical. Italian arias from the works of Verdi, Donizetti and Bellini * ''Berlin Gala'', 1999, Polygram Records. Berlin Gala concert of December 1998 with
Mirella Freni Mirella Freni (born Mirella Fregni, 27February 19359February 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Glyndebourne Festiva ...
, Simon Keenlyside, Christine Schäfer * ''Marcelo Álvarez Sings Gardel'', 2000, Sony Classical. Selections of
Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inter ...
's tangos, including a digitally-mastered duet of Álvarez singing with a 1934 recording of Carlos Gardel * ''French Arias'', 2001, Sony Classical. French arias from the works of Massenet, Offenbach, Donizetti, Gounod, Verdi, Meyerbeer, and Rossini * ''Duetto'' performed with Salvatore Licitra, 2003, Sony Classical. Original works composed for Álvarez and Licitra as well as variations on classical compositions and arias * ''Manon – Massenet'', 2003, Sony Classical. Performance of July 2001 by the Opéra National de Paris at Théâtre de la Bastille with
Renée Fleming Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano and actress, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nom ...
* ''The Tenor's Passion'', 2004, Sony Classical. Italian and French masterpieces * ''Lucia di Lammermoor – Donizetti'', 2005, La Voce, Inc. Performance of August 2004 in Tokyo, with
Mariella Devia Mariella Devia (born 12 April 1948) is an Italian operatic soprano. After beginning her career as a lyric coloratura soprano, in the finale part of it she also enjoyed considerable success with some of the most dramatic roles in the bel canto re ...
and
Renato Bruson Renato Bruson (born 13 January 1936) is an Italian operatic baritone. Bruson is widely considered one of the most important Verdi baritones of the late 20th and early 21st century. Life and career Bruson was born in Granze near Padua on 13 Jan ...
* ''Festliche Operngala'', 2005, RCA. Deutschen Oper concert benefit for AIDS research, Berlin, with
Lucia Aliberti Lucia Aliberti (born 12 June 1957) is an Italian operatic soprano singer. She performed the bel canto roles of Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini, Vivaldi, Mercadante and so on. Life and career Aliberti was born in Messina (Sicily). ...
, Maria Bayo * ''Marcelo Álvarez: The Verdi Tenor'', 2009, Decca. Eighteen arias, including "Celeste Aida", "Di quella pira" from ''Il trovatore'', and Otello's "Niun mi tema" * ''Marcelo Álvarez: Tenorissimo!'', 2010, Sony Classical. Seventeen arias collected from previous recordings of works including Puccini's "La bohème" and "Tosca", and Umberto Giordano's "Andrea Chénier" * ''Adriana Lecouvreur - Cilea'', 2011, Dynamic. Performance of July 2009 in Turino, Italy with Micaela Carosi and Marianne Cornetti * ''Marcelo Álvarez: 20 Years on the Opera Stage'', 2014, Delos. St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Constantine Orbellian, conductor. Fifteen selections, including previously unrecorded arias ''Vesti la giubba'' from Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" as well as Puccini's "Turandot" and "La fanciulla del west"


Filmography (DVD and/or Blu-ray)

* ''Marcelo Álvarez In Search of Gardel'', 2000, Bullfrog Films. Documentary film about the life of Carlos Gardel and the making of the album, ''Marcelo Álvarez Sings Gardel'' * ''Songs of Love & Desire'', 2002, TDK. Berlin Gala concert of December 1998 with
Mirella Freni Mirella Freni (born Mirella Fregni, 27February 19359February 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Glyndebourne Festiva ...
, Christine Schäfer, Simon Keenlyside * ''Verdi Gala'', 2002, TDK. Concert of March 2001 at the Teatro Padiglione Palacassa in Parma, Italy with
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
,
José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras Coll (; born 5 December 1946), better known as José Carreras (, ), is a Catalan operatic tenor from Spain who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, ...
, and José Cura * ''Rigoletto – Verdi'', 2002, BBC Opus Arte. Performance of September 2001 at the Royal Opera House, London with Paolo Gavanelli, Christine Schäfer * ''Manon – Massenet'', 2003, TDK. Performance of July 2001 by the Opéra National de Paris at Théâtre de la Bastille with Renée Fleming * ''Duetto'', 2003, Sony Classical. Performance with Salvatore Licitra plus behind-the-scenes extras from a concert at the Colosseum in Rome, June 2003 * ''Lucia di Lammermoor – Donizetti'', 2004, TDK. Performance of June 2003 in Genoa with Stefania Bonfadelli and Roberto Frontali * ''La Bohème – Puccini'', 2004, TDK. Performance of February 2003 at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi (La Scala ensemble), Milan with Cristina Gallardo-Domas, Hei-Kyung Hong, Roberto Servile * ''Lucia di Lammermoor – Donizetti'', 2005, La Voce, Inc. Performance of August 2004 in Tokyo with
Mariella Devia Mariella Devia (born 12 April 1948) is an Italian operatic soprano. After beginning her career as a lyric coloratura soprano, in the finale part of it she also enjoyed considerable success with some of the most dramatic roles in the bel canto re ...
and
Renato Bruson Renato Bruson (born 13 January 1936) is an Italian operatic baritone. Bruson is widely considered one of the most important Verdi baritones of the late 20th and early 21st century. Life and career Bruson was born in Granze near Padua on 13 Jan ...
, includes interviews in Italian * '' Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto Story'', 2005, Roadhouse Movie. Performance of August 2002 in Siena, Italy with Roberto Servile and Inva Mula * ''Mariella Devia & Marcelo Álvarez'', 2005, La Voce, Inc. Concert of August 2004 in Tokyo * ''Werther – Massenet'', 2005, TDK. Performance of February 2005 at the Vienna State Opera with Elīna Garanča, includes interview and Opernball excerpts * ''Festliche Operngala'', 2005, United Motion. Deutschen Oper concert benefit for AIDS research, November 2005, Berlin with
Lucia Aliberti Lucia Aliberti (born 12 June 1957) is an Italian operatic soprano singer. She performed the bel canto roles of Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini, Vivaldi, Mercadante and so on. Life and career Aliberti was born in Messina (Sicily). ...
and Maria Bayo * ''DVD Sampler Opera ‘06'', 2006, TDK. Selections featuring Álvarez, Renée Fleming, Karita Mattila, and
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
* ''Rigoletto – Verdi'', 2006, TDK. Performance of December 2004 at the
Liceu The Gran Teatre del Liceu (; ; ), or simply Liceu, is a theater in Barcelona, Spain. Situated on La Rambla, it is the city's oldest theater building still in use for its original purpose. Founded in 1837 at another location, the Liceu ope ...
in Barcelona, Spain with Carlos Alvarez and Inva Mula * ''Tosca – Puccini'', 2007, TDK. Performance of July 2006 at Arena di Verona with Fiorenza Cedolins and
Ruggero Raimondi Ruggero Raimondi (born 3 October 1941) is an Italian bass-baritone opera singer who has also appeared in motion pictures. Life and career Early training and career Ruggero Raimondi was born in Bologna, Italy, during World War II. His voice matu ...
* ''Un ballo in maschera - Verdi'', 2010, Opus Arte. Performance of September 2008 at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain with Violeta Urmana, Marco Vratogna, and Elena Zaremba. Available in DVDThompson, Simon
"Excellent Verdi singing"
"Arkiv Music.com". Retrieved Mar 2, 2010.
and Blu-ray disc. * ''Adriana Lecouvreur – Cilea'', 2010, Arthaus Musik. Performance of June 2009 at the Teatro Regio in Turin with Micaela Carosi and Marianne Cornetti * ''Tosca - Puccini'', 2010, Virgin Classics. Live performance from the Met in New York City with Karita Mattila and George Gagnidze; Joseph Colaneri - conductor * ''Il trovatore - Verdi'', 2012, Deutsche Grammophon. Live performance from the Met with Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky; Marco Armiliato - conductor * ''Un Ballo in Maschera - Verdi'', 2013, Deutsche Grammophon. Live performance from the Met with Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sondra Radvanovsky and Stephanie Blythe; Fabio Luisi - Conductor * ''Verdi Box Set: Falstaff, Rigoletto, Il trovatore'', 2012, BBC Opus Arte. Director David McVicar at the Royal Opera House with Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sondra Radvanovsky, Paolo Gavanelli and Christine Schäfer * ''Luisa Miller - Verdi'', 2012, Unitel Classica. Teatro Regio di Parma with Fiorenza Cedolins and Leo Nucci


Awards

* 1995 – Winner, regional voice competition in Pavia, Italy * 1995 - Second prize, inaugural Leyla Gencer Voice Competition in Istanbul, Turkey * 2000 – Gold Camera Award, 33rd Annual International Film and Video Festival * 2000 – Honorable mention, Columbus International Film and Video Festival * 2000 – Singer of The Year, Echo Klassik (German Audioworks Cultural Institute) * 2002 – Singer of The Year, Echo Klassik * 2003 – Best Tenor of The Year, 2002, as voted by readers of Italian ''L’Opera'' magazine * 2007 – La Martesana Opera Award, presented b
OperaClick
and Associazione Musicale Harmonia


References


External links


Playlist of Marcelo Álvarez videos of concerts and opera on YouTube.com

Leyla Gencer Voice Competition

Marcelo Álvarez official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez, Marcelo 1962 births Living people 20th-century Argentine male opera singers Argentine operatic tenors Musicians from Córdoba, Argentina 21st-century Argentine male opera singers