Bringing Latin American songs to China

Mexican opera tenor Rolando Villazon joined French harpist Xavier de Maistre to stage performances at Shanghai's Grand Theatre on June 3 for Villazon's first China performances as part their Asia tour.

They also performed at Beijing's National Centre for the Performing Arts on June 6 and the Shenzhen Concert Hall on June 8.

In their joint recital, the duo offered selections from their 2020 album, Serenata Latina, exploring songs from a rich Latin American repertoire, featuring new arrangements for vocals and harp.

They highlighted composers from Villazon's homeland, Mexico, as well as Latin and South America during the concerts, featuring songs and canzonas by Argentine composer Carlos Guastavino, Venezuelan composer Antonio Estevez, Argentine composer Yvette Souviron and Cuban composer Silvio Rodriguez, among others.

"I have noticed that audiences are falling more in love with opera in China. For me, it is exciting to meet the people here and share my music," Villazon said before the performance at the NCPA.

He also noted that Latin American songwriting, which integrates indigenous, European and African cultures, offers a diversity of sounds, rhythms, melodies and narratives.

"In the world of classical music, we often talk about how to attract young people to the concert halls. I think that it's more important for us to bring the music to them, engaging them with new and creative music programs," Villazon says.

Through the songs from the album, Serenata Latina, the tenor says, audiences enjoy new, intimate arrangements, bringing classic and traditional tunes to life in their full emotional essence, conveying feelings like longing, pain, melancholy, desire and loss.

Villazon was born in Mexico City and began his musical studies in his native country. In 1999, he won several top prizes at internationally celebrated singer Placido Domingo's Operalia Competition and burst on to the international music scene. He has performed on important stages around the world. His signature roles include Alfredo in Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata and Des Grieux in Manon by French composer Jules Massenet. In 2011, he made his first foray into stage directing with Werther by Massenet at the Opera National de Lyon. He has since directed many works.

Both onstage and in the recording studio, Mozart has come to occupy a central place in Villazon's career. Besides performing leading roles in the composer's operas, Villazon was named artistic director of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation's annual Mozart Week in 2017.

At 53, he is among one of the most versatile artists today, maintaining successful parallel careers as a concert artist, stage director, novelist and TV personality.

"Now, I am at a very good stage of my life since everything I am doing brings me so much joy," the tenor says.

"I have various artistic projects to do, and my calendar is full of interesting ventures."