Class 2016

Program

International Opera Studio's activities 2016-17 will develop around two opera productions: La Sonnambula (V. Bellini) and Un Ballo in Maschera (G. Verdi).

The activities around La Sonnambula will begin on June 20, 2016 and will end up on July 24, 2016, in the middle there will be two performances of the production (July 8th and 9th 2016) at Teatro Jovellanos in Gijón. Likewise, activities around Un Ballo in Maschera will run from July 25 until September 2016's first weekend, having its performances on September 3rd and 4th 2016, at the same theater.

Throughout this program of activities, the singers chosen to participate in IOS shall comply with an intensive schedule in which they will refine vocal, musical and stage aspects. Training programs are individually designed for each artist, tailored to their vocal and musical needs by maestros who are leaders in their disciplines, holders of renowned prestige in the operatic world. International Opera Studio aims to train opera singers in all aspects and seeks to favor maximum insertion into the professional world. In addition to a detailed individual vocal work with singing teachers, IOS participants will have at their disposition pianists (vocal coaches and repertorists), music directors, stage directors and language teachers.

Artistic Staff (CV/biographies)

  • José Gómez

    José Gómez

    Artistic and Music Director

    José Gómez (Gijón, España, 1961) is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding Spanish conductors. Previously, Mr. Gómez has been Music Director of the Orquesta Clásica de La Laguna (Tenerife, Spain) and also Music Director and Founder of the Oviedo Filarmonia (Oviedo, Spain).

    Studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid and piano and conducting at the Hartt School of Music (USA). Widened his operatic and symphonic repertoire with Jesús López Cobos at the Berlin Deutsche Oper, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.

    Mr. Gómez's versatility as a conductor has allowed him to lead a myriad of symphonic, choral, opera, zarzuela and ballet scores.He has participated in lyric seasons throught Spain, in theaters as relevant as: Teatro Lírico Nacional de La Zarzuela (Madrid), Teatro Pérez Galdós (Las Palmas), Teatro Guimerá (Tenerife), Teatro Villamarta (Jerez), Palacio de Festivales (Santander), Teatro Calderón (Valladolid), Teatro Campoamor (Oviedo), Teatro Palacio Valdés (Avilés) and Teatro Jovellanos (Gijón), among others. Furthermore, Mr. Has appeared regularlo as a guest conductor with most of the Spanish orchestras, such as: Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla-León, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, Orquesta Ciudad de Málaga, Orquesta de Córdoba, among others. Internationally, Mr. Gómez has appeard leading the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra and Transilvania Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

    Mr. Gómez has been a concertation professor at the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid, the highest and most prestigious Spanish institution for voice instruction and music director of an extensive number of opera and zarzuela productions, as well as oratorio programs, at that institution's theater.

  • Raina Kabaivanska

    Raina Kabaivanska

    Voice Masterclasses

    Raina Kabaivanska (Burgas, Bulgaria, 1934), is one of the leading sopranos of her generation. Formed by Zina Fumagalli-Riva in Milan and by Giulia Tess in Vercelli, made her debut at the National Opera of Bulgaria in Sofia as Tatjana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in 1957. In 1961, she gave her first performance in La Scala in Milan, as Agnes in Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda, alongside Joan Sutherland. Especially noteworthy was her performance in Turin in 1973 as Elena in I vespri Siciliani, the only production directed by Maria Callas.

    Particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini, has been acclaimed for her performances at the most emblematic opera theaters, such as the Royal Opera House (London), the Metropolitan Opera (New York), the Bolshoi Theatre (Moscow), the Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), Opera Paris, Vienna State Opera, the Budapest Opera House, the Lyric Opera (Chicago), San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, etc. Her professional activity in Italy has been of major relevance, there she sung regularly in all major theaters: La Scala (Milan), Teatro Verdi (Trieste), Teatro La Fenice (Venice), Arena di Verona, Turin, Genoa, Parma, Bologna and Modena's theaters and the Rome Opera

    In over fifty years of career she has shared stage with several generations of great tenors as Franco Corelli, Mario Del Monaco, Jon Vickers, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti, José Cura, Mario Melanini, Giuseppe Sabbatini or Andrea Carè among other.

    Throughout her extraordinary career Kabaivanska has won numerous international opera awards; Bellini (1965), Viotti d'Oro (1970), Puccini (1978), Illica (1979), Monteverdi (1980), the Academy Award Medici - Lorenzo il Magnifico, Florence (1990) and the Grand Prize "a life dedicated to the Music", Venice (2000).

    Currently, she continues sharing her art by giving master classes for young singers in Spain, Italy and France. Likewise, she takes part of the jury at a great number of prestigious competitions worldwide.

  • Chris Merrit

    Chris Merrit

    Voice Masterclasses

    Chris Merritt (Oklahoma, USA, 1952) is an American active tenor with more than 40 years of professional experience participating in operatic productions in the best theaters in the world. Merritt began receiving singing lessons in the preparatory department of the University of Oklahoma, where his teacher was Gillam Florence Birdwell, and completed his musical studies at the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz (Austria). He debuted professionally at the Santa Fe Opera in 1975, playing the role of Dr. Caius in Verdi's Falstaff.

    After finishing his studies in Graz, Merritt participated in numerous productions and concerts in Austria, Switzerland and Germany until an audition for Beverly Sills during his German tour allowed him to perform the role of Arturo in I Puritani and thus its debut with the New York Opera in 1981. Merritt's career began to grow and in 1983, made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York, singing the role of Argirio in Rossini's Tancredi and later made his debut in Palis Garnier in Paris as Amenhotep in Rossini's Moïse et Pharaoh and not long after he played the role of Giacomo and Uberto in Rossini's La Donna del Laco making his debut at the Royal Opera House.

    Chris Merritt has also performed at Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, Metropolitan Opera House in New York, Chicago Opera, San Francisco Opera and Paris Opera. In all these theaters he has made many representations of various operatic works.

    Recognized worldwide as one of the most important tenors of the last century, and especially in America, he has been honored with numerous awards and accolades. Without their contribution could not understand the call Rossini's Renaissance.

  • Ignacio García

    Ignacio García

    Drama Studies Teacher. Stage Director

    Ignacio García (Madrid, Spain, 1977) best represents the new generation of stage directors in Spain, having under his belt awards for young directors of the Association of Directors of Scene in Spain and the first performing arts contest organized by Teatro Real in Madrid. With just only twenty-seven was appointed Deputy Director of the Teatro Español in Madrid.

    Despite his youth boasts a long career in which he has directed numerous theatrical and opera productions at sites like Teatro Real (Madrid), Teatro de la Zarzuela (Madrid), Teatro Español (Madrid), Teatro Albéniz (Madrid), Teatro María Guerrero (Madrid), Teatro Arriaga and Euskalduna (Bilbao), Teatro Campoamor (Oviedo), Teatro Principal (Mahón), Teatro GarcíaBarbón and Auditorium (Vigo), Teatro Jovellanos (Gijón), Teatro Colón (La Coruña), Auditorium (León), Teatro Principal (Mallorca), and Kursaal (San Sebastián), among others.

    Internationally he has directed productions at theaters such as Pergolesi (Jesi), Opera (Lausanne), St. George's Hall and Liverpool Hall (Liverpool), Schauspielhaus (Bremen), Opera Baltycka (Gdansk), Opera Utrecht, Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi, Theatre Herodes Atticus, MUAC (Mexico DF), Opera Athens, Teatr Wielki (Poznan) and Alexandrinsky Theatre St. Petersburg, which prompted an important boosttohis work.

    He has also participated with great success at festivals such as the Mozart (La Coruña), Almagro, Fog, Scandicci, Perelada, Aranjuez, Flemish (London) and the Biennale (Venice), among others.

    He combines his duties as stage director with teaching pedagogy courses, seminars and masters in different countries. He teaches at the Valladolid School of Dramatic Arts and Barcelona's film school Bande a Part.

  • Michal Znaniecki

    Michal Znaniecki

    Coordinación artística

    Michał Znaniecki was born in Warsaw where he later attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts, subsequently completing his studies in Bologna and Milan.

    His directing career began in 1994 with productions in Poland, France, Belgium, Ireland and Italy following by Spain, Israel, Argentina and Uruguay.

    He has produced more than 200 new productions of drama, opera and musical in the main theatres and festivals of the world working with the best actors and singers, e.g. Plácido Domingo, Piotr Beczała, Lorin Maazel or José Cura among others.

    He made his debut in Teatro alla Scala di Milan in 1994 being the youngest director in the history of the Scala, and later became the youngest Artistic Director of National Polish Opera in Warsaw and General Manager of the Poznań Opera House.

    For his social projects he was awarded with the Golden Medal for Social and Artistic Value by the President of Puglia Region. His productions of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2007) and The Producers (2009) won several Golden Mask Awards (2007: The Best Production of the Year; 2009: The Best Director, The Best Show).

    Creator of several open-air mega-productions: e.g. Otello and L’elisir d’amore on the water, Turandot and Un ballo in maschera in the Olympic Stadium of Wrocław, Traviata and Carmina Burana with the Israeli Opera at the Masada Desert, Israel.

    His Eugene Onegin (ABAO, Bilbao) has received the award “Premios Líricos Teatro Campoamor” for The Best New Production of the Year in 2011, Spain. Croatian Association of Dramatic Artists awarded his „Mefistofele” as the best opera performance in 2014 in Croatia. Znaniecki also received Premio Abbiati 2015, Italian Opera Oscar for the „200.com project – Pagliacci”.

    For his work as the founder and Artistic Director of Festival Opera Tigre and ambassador of the European Capital of Culture: Wrocław 2016, he was awarded with Silver Gloria Artis in 2012 by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.

  • Zofia Dowjat

    Zofia Dowjat

    Directora de Escena

  • Omar Jonatás Sánchez Mártil

    Omar Jonatás Sánchez Mártil

    Pianista

    He was born in Madrid where he earned advanced degrees in piano and orchestral conducting at the Royal Conservatory of Music, completing his solo and chamber music training at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague (Netherlands) by scholarships granted by the MEC and the Rotary Club Madrid-Velázquez. Among his main teachers were Carolina Gangutia, Almudena Cano, Rian de Waal and Jan Wijn, having completed numerous courses with Boris Berman, Rita Wagner, Peter Bithell, Edith Grosz, Geoffrey Douglas Madge, Paul Roberts and Imre Rohman among others.

    His great artistic and extensive training versatility allow him to brilliantly cover different facets within the pianistic interpretation such as the solo repertoire, chamber music or voice collaboration as accompanist.

    In his activity as a concert pianist has performed in numerous halls and auditoriums in Spain, Holland and France. He has premiered works by Spanish composers such as Juan Carlos Panadero, Mercedes Zavala, Gabriel Fernández Álvez, etc. The latter composer premiered in 2009 his concerto for two pianos at the Auditorio Nacional of Madrid.

    He has been awarded several prizes as a soloist, "Jacinto Guerrero" in Toledo, "Fundación Guerrero" of Spanish Music in Madrid, "Ko Hartman" of Almere (Netherlands), "Nueva Acrópolis" in Madrid, Rotaract Club of Palma de Mallorca, etc. Also, forming the duo "Divertimenti" with the bilbaine pianist Arrate Monasterio, he was awarded in chamber music competitions as "Ecopark Trasmiera" of Santander and Manresa.

    In his role as a chamber music pianist, he owes its formation to teachers as Louis Hans Meier, Hans Eijsackers, Vincenzo Scalera, Giulio Zappa, Charles Spencer, Helmut Deutsch and especially the German master Wolfram Rieger. He has worked as a vocal accompanist with numerous renowned singers: Maria Acda, Barbara Pearson, Juan Diego Lomba, Manuel Cid, Miguel Bernal, Rodrigo and Carmen Ana Rodriguez Aragon among others.

    It has been official pianist in international singing competitions as Zamora, Colmenar Viejo, and Ana Maria Iriarte, the latter focused on zarzuela genre. Also in recent years he has collaborated with corals participatory programs of La Caixa and formed part of the innovative opera program International Opera Studio in Gijón.

    In 2004 he joined the body of Teachers of Music and Performing Arts of the Autonomous Community of Madrid as Piano teacher. He currently combines his artistic activity with teaching as a specialist of Vocal Repertoire at the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid.

    He has recorded for Radio Clásica RNE and Catalunya Radio.

  • Sergei Bezrodny

    Sergei Bezrodny

    Pianista

    Sergey Bezrodny was bom in 1957 into a family of renowned Russian musicians. At the age of 6 Sergey Bezrodny was enrolled in the Central musical school at Moscow Conservatoire in the class of the famous teacher A. Sumbatyan.

    In 1975 Bezrodny entered Moscow State Conservatoire in the class of Professor Eugene Malinin. When a student, he showed interest not only in solo activity, but also in chamber music. In 1980 Bezrodny graduated from Moscow State Conservatoire with full honours and then became a postgraduate student in the class of Professor S. Dorensky.

    While studying in the Conservatoire Sergey Bezrodny was invited to work as a harpsichordist in the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under the guidance of Rudolf Barshaya. For the period of 10 years of work in that group he built up a vast repertoire of musical compositions of all periods, especially the baroque era.

    From 1982 to the present day Sergey Bezrodny has been the harpsichordist and pianist to the State Chamber Orchestra "The Virtuosi of Moscow" under tbe guidance of Vladimir Spivakov. Thus, over more than 20 years as an artiste Sergei Bezrodny has performed some two thousand concerts both as a member of "The Virtuosi of Moscow" and as accompanist to Vladimir Spivakov all over the world. Audiences in all the major concert halls of Europe and the USA known to music lovers have applauded his performances. Bezrodny's repertoire as a chamber musician is vast as well as versatile from Bach, Handel, Beetboven and Schubert to Shostakovitch, Pyart and Shnitke. Bezrodny has also performed together with such renowned musicians as M. Rostropovitch, Yu. Bashmet, P. Zukerman, Y. Menuhin, M. Maisky.

  • Marcos Suárez

    Marcos Suárez

    Pianista

    Marcos Suarez was born in Langreo (Asturias) in 1992. At the age of 6 he began his musical studies with Concepcion G. Somoza. At 12, he entered the Conservatorio del Nalon, where he studied with Rocío Llames and where he finished with the highest marks. Later he studied in the CONSMUPA (Conservatorio Superior del Principado de Asturias) with Francisco J. Pantín. Currently, he delves into the field of vocal accompaniment with the mezzo-soprano Elena Perez-Herrero and vocal accompanist Husan Park.

    He has received classes from Julio Largacha, Jue Wang, Jose Ramón Méndez, Teresa Pérez, Iván Martín .... On the other hand, he has worked with different chamber groups with professors Jan Vieslaf Rekucki and Olga Semushina.

    From 2010 to 2015, he works as accompanist “White Voices Choir Nalón” with whom he has performed throughout the Asturian geography, as well as in different cities of Spain. In 2014 he travels with this choir to New York where he will give several concerts, one at the United Nations. In 2015, he participates in a contest of choral music in Florence.

    Within the scope coral, he also works along the year 2015 with the "Polyphonic Oviedo Chapel" resident choir at the Festival of Zarzuela of the Campoamor Theater. He sometimes collaborates with the Symphony Orchestra of the Principality of Asturias (OSPA) both with the piano and the celesta. Also, in recent years he has performed numerous concerts with several Asturian opera singers.

  • Donatella Danzi

    Donatella Danzi

    Italian diction

    Donatella Danzi (Milan, Italy) Italian Applied to Singing teacher at the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid and founder of Asociación Parla Italiano which promotes Italian culture around the world.

    She coordinates and is responsible for the certification of the official PLIDA exams (Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri) which are recognized by the Republic of Italy and are expedited and approved by one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Italy: La Sapienza in Rome.

    In 2005 she created and started the project Parla Italiano Facendo Teatro (Speak Italian through Theatre) which utilizes Theatre in order to teach Italian as a foreign language. Along with her students, she has performed various plays among which: Di Napoli, d’amore (2011), Anni 70 e dintorni (2011), Frammenti Pirandelliani(2012), Eduardo De Filippo’s Il Cilindro (2013) Luigi Pirandello’s Sogno (o forse no?) (2014).

    Being Italian and possessing an MA in Italian Philology and a Master degree in education training for professional, secondary, and language teachers by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She studied theater in Milan and in Madrid in William Layton’s Laboratory. She has participated in different international festivals and has worked for cinema and television in Madrid.

    As Italian Applied to Singing teacher, she has taken care of Italian diction in numerous shows within the Escuela Superior de Canto of Madrid.