Jesús León

Jesus Leon

Jesús León at Royal Albert Hall, March 21, 2009
Background information
Born Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Genres Opera
Occupation(s) Operatic (tenor)
Website www.jesusleon.com

Jesús León is a Mexican operatic tenor. On January 24, 2010, he received the Revelación Juvenil award from the Mexican government and sang the Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado.[1] Leon made his debut at Royal Albert Hall as a tenor soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2009,[2] performing seven concerts at the Classical Spectacular.[3]

He has won grants from The Vilcek Foundation,[4] The Nando Peretti Foundation,[5] The Solti Foundation,[6] the Palm Springs Opera Guild, the Institute Sonora of Culture, Festival Ortiz Tirado,[7] the American Institute of Fine Arts, and the Opera Buffs Inc. of Los Angeles.[8]

León has given concerts worldwide. He performed as featured soloist at the 2005 and 2007 Equestrian World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.[9]

His repertoire includes Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Tonio in La fille du régiment, Prince Ramiro in La Cenerentola, Alfredo in La traviata, Rodolfo in La bohème, Fenton in Falstaff, and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni.

Early years

His music studies began with guitar lessons at age ten and then voice lessons in the Casa de la Cultura of Sonora at age 14 while at the same time he was singing for private events in his self-created rock band, "Garage".[10] From 1990 to 1995, he played guitar and sang with local bands, Herson Rucks, Europa and Sahuaro and won third prize in the Valores Bacardi national music competition in 1995.

In 1996 León began professional opera studies at the University of Sonora. He sang as a tenor soloist with the university choir and performed in music festivals such as the Festival Ortiz Tirado and the Festival of Las Fronteras. In 1998 he sang in the theatrical production, La Mandrágora.

Between 1998 and 2004, as tenor and pianist, León was a member of several sacred ensembles that led him to create his own ensemble, Cantiquo.[11][12] For six years he sang in the Notte di Pasta of the hotel Fiesta Americana of Hermosillo. He also recorded a CD called Recuerdo de una Notte di Pasta.

Opera career

2004-2005

León's first role in an opera was in Mexico in October 2004, when he performed Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore with the Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra.[13] In 2005 he sang the lead tenor role of Leonardo in the world premiere of Ian Krouse's opera, Lorca, Child of the Moon with UCLA Opera Studio in Los Angeles.[14]

At the 2005 New Opera Festival di Roma, León performed the roles of Rodolfo and The Duke of Mantua. With the Festival Euromediterraneo he sang the tenor solo in Carmina Burana in the Roman Amphitheater Ostia Antica. Soon after, he joined the Opera Institute at Boston University where he performed roles in Weill's Mahagonny, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, andA Month in the Country.

2006-2007

In the summer of 2006, he was a member of the 2006 Solti Accademia di bel Canto where he was coached by Mirella Freni and performed three concerts in Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto and Florence, Italy. He was an inaugural member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program for 2006/2007 at LA Opera.[15]

2008-2009

In the 2008-2009 season, León's performances included the roles of Il duca di Mantova in Rigoletto with the San Francisco Lyric Opera,[16] Rodolfo in La Bohème and Alfredo in La traviata in Viterbo, Italy, and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Riverside Opera.

He performed four concerts with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and two concerts for the Solti Foundation: a Solti 10th Anniversary Concert at Wigmore Hall in London and one at The Lost Three Club in Palm Beach, Florida. He sang recitals for the Opera Guild of Los Angeles, the Opera Buffs Inc, the American Institute of Fine Arts in Los Angeles and the Palm Springs Opera Guild at the Rancho Mirage Library and Opera in the Park.

After 2010

For the 2010 season he performed Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with the Grange Park Opera,[17] Alfredo in La traviata with the West Bay Opera in San Francisco and sang concerts with the Orion Symphony Orchestra at Cadogan Hall[18] and concerts with Musica Angelica in Los Angeles.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Dan Reconocimiento al tenor Jesús León". elimparcial.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  2. ↑ "Raymond Gubbay Presents Classical Spectacular". rpo.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  3. ↑ "Classical Spectacular". raymondgubbay.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  4. ↑ "Vilcek Foundation Sponsored Programs Santa Fe Apprenticeship". vilcek.org. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  5. ↑ "Nurturing Classical Singers: Supporting the Solti Te Kanawa Accademia di Bel Canto". nandoperettifound.org. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  6. ↑ "Solti Foundation Previous Award Winners, Accademia Solti 2006 Summer Masterclass". soltifoundation.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  7. ↑ "Revelacion Juvenil / Jesus Leon, Tenor(2009)". festivalortiztirado.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  8. ↑ "Opera Buffs Awards $20,000 to Aspiring Young Singers". californiachronicle.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  9. ↑ "Oliveira Dressage Presents Display at 2007 FEI World Cup Dressage Finals". equestrianmag.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  10. ↑ Grupo Garage en Teledicion, Canal 12. Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico: Garagehermosillo. 2002. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  11. ↑ "Cantiquo en Charlas de Verano, 11 Septiembre, 2001" (PDF). elimparcial.com. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
  12. ↑ "Cantiquo en concierto, 13 de Agosto 2002" (PDF). elimparcial.com. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
  13. ↑ "El Impacial / Cultura - Una Opera para divertirse, Elixir de Amor" (PDF). elimparcial.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  14. ↑ "UCLA Magazine - Living La vida Lorca". magazine.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  15. ↑ "Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program, Los Angeles Opera". losangelesopera.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  16. ↑ "Friday Night: Verdi's Rigoletto at the Cowell Theater". sfweekly.com. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  17. ↑ "Grange Park Opera presents Madama Butterfly". grangeparkopera.co.uk/. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  18. ↑ "Cadogan Hall 'Genius for Genes' Orion Symphony Orchestra". cadoganhall.com. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  19. ↑ "Musica Angelica presents Glory of the Habsburgs". musicaangelica.org. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-19.

External links

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