Rolando Villazón

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Villazón and the second or maternal family name is Mauleón.

Rolando Villazón
Villazón during a recital at the Teatro Real Madrid, 2014
Born (1972-02-22) February 22, 1972
Fuentes de Satélite, Mexico
CitizenshipMexican
French
OccupationsOpera singer (tenor), artistic director
Years active1999–present
SpouseLucia
Children2 (Mateo and Dario)
Websitewww.rolandovillazon.com

Rolando Villazón Mauleón (born February 22, 1972) is a Mexican operatic tenor, stage director, author, radio and television personality, and artistic director. He resides in France and received French citizenship in 2007.[1][2]

Villazón has published several books, including the novels Malabares and Paladas de sombra contra la oscuridad, which have been translated into French and German.[3][4] He is a member of the Collège de 'Pataphysique in Paris.[5]

Early life

Villazón was raised in Fuentes de Satélite, a suburban area of Greater Mexico City, Mexico. In an interview for Mexican television, he recounted how he was discovered as a tenor. According to Villazón, while he was singing in the shower at his apartment in Mexico City, baritone Arturo Nieto, a friend of his neighbour, heard him singing and knocked on his door. Nieto subsequently encouraged Villazón to develop his voice and invited him to attend his music academy, where Villazón later developed an interest in opera.[6][7]

Career

Late 1990s and early 2000s

2007 Vienna summer event

Villazón came to international attention in 1999 when he won second prize in Plácido Domingo's Operalia competition,[8] finishing behind Bulgarian bass Orlin Anastassov.[9] In the same competition, he also received the first prize for Zarzuela and the audience prize.[8] That year, he made his Italian debut as des Grieux in Massenet's Manon at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa.[10]

In 2000, Villazón made his debut at the Berlin State Opera as Macduff in Verdi's Macbeth.[11][12] Over subsequent seasons, he performed several of his principal roles there, including Don José in Bizet's Carmen[13] and again des Grieux in Manon.[14] Also in 2000, he appeared as Rodolfo in Puccini's La bohème in Munich. In 2002, he performed as Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi in Los Angeles.[15]

In 2003, Villazón portrayed Rodolfo again at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in England and later appeared in the title role of Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann at the Royal Opera House in London. The following year, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as Alfredo in Verdi's La traviata. In 2005, he appeared in the same role at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg and at the Salzburg Festival.

2005–2010

Villazón performed regularly at major opera houses worldwide and in concert during this period.[16] In August 2005, he portrayed Alfredo at the Salzburg Festival, in a production conducted by Carlo Rizzi and directed by Willy Decker, alongside Anna Netrebko as Violetta. Villazón and Netrebko also appeared together in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore at the Vienna State Opera, a performance that was later released on DVD. He performed with Netrebko and Plácido Domingo in globally televised concerts from Berlin's Waldbühne and Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace in 2006 and 2008.

Vocal surgery and return to the stage

Davy Cunningham (left) and Rolando Villazón, 2017

Between 2007 and 2009, Villazón cancelled a number of scheduled engagements in order to address a persistent vocal problem.[17][18] In May 2009, he announced that he would undergo surgery to remove a congenital cyst from one of his vocal cords.[19]

Following his rehabilitation, Villazón returned to the operatic stage in March 2010 as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore at the Vienna State Opera and undertook a series of recitals.[20][21] In December 2012, he appeared again as Rodolfo at the Royal Opera House, as in 2005.[22]

From 2010 onward, Villazón undertook a number of tenor roles by Mozart in both concert and staged performances, including Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Festspiel Baden-Baden,[23] the Royal Opera House, and the Berlin State Opera; Alessandro in Il re pastore, conducted by William Christie at the Opernhaus Zürich[24] and the Salzburg Festival;[25] and the title role in Lucio Silla at the Salzburg Festival. His first all-Mozart solo album, featuring the composer's concert arias for tenor, was released in January 2014.[26]

2015–present

Villazón has continued to perform at major international opera houses and has expanded his repertoire. In 2016, he made his debut in Bohuslav Martinů's Juliette ou la clé des songes in a new production conducted by Daniel Barenboim at the Berlin State Opera.[27] That year he performed the title role of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo first, a role he later performed in new productions at the Semperoper Dresden and the Santa Fe Opera in 2023.[28][29][30]

In 2017, Villazón appeared first in the title role of Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria in Paris. In 2018 he first portrayed Pelléas in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, again conducted by Barenboim. In 2021, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Papageno in The Magic Flute.[31] In 2022, Villazón first performed in a Wagner role, as Loge in Das Rheingold at the Berlin State Opera in a new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov conducted by Christian Thielemann.[32]

In 2018, Villazón was appointed artistic director of Mozart Week in Salzburg, and in 2021 he became artistic director of the International Mozarteum Foundation, which organises the festival.[33] His contract was extended until 2028.[34]

On May 18, 2026, he's set to star as Cervantes / Don Quxiote in Man of La Mancha in concert at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.[35]

Stage direction

Villazón made his debut as a stage director with a new production of Massenet's Werther at the Opéra de Lyon in January 2011.[36] He directed L'elisir d'amore at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden (2012) and Oper Leipzig (2019), Donizetti's Viva la Mamma at the Vienna Volksoper (2015), Puccini's La rondine at Deutsche Oper Berlin (2015), La traviata at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden (2015), Die Fledermaus by J. Strauss at Deutsche Oper Berlin (2018), Bellini's La sonnambula at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (2021) and Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Salzburg Festival (2022).[37][38]

Recording career and television and film appearances

In addition to his appearances on the opera stage, Villazón maintains an active recording career. He has recorded four solo CDs with Virgin Classics and is additionally featured, along with Patrizia Ciofi and Topi Lehtipuu, on the recording of Monteverdi's Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm. An album of zarzuelas (Gitano, Virgin Classics) conducted by Plácido Domingo, was released in Spring 2007. The U.S. version of his album Viva Villazón (Virgin Classics) was released in September 2007. Villazón sang "La Prima Luce" on the 2014 Yanni/Plácido Domingo/Ric Wake collaboration album Inspirato.[39]

In 2007, Villazón switched his recording company and signed an exclusive long-term contract with Deutsche Grammophon. For DG, Rolando Villazón has recorded over 20 CDs and DVDs, which have received numerous prizes.[40] His discography includes leading roles in complete recordings of six Mozart operas conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In early 2010 he was a mentor and judge in the ITV show Popstar to Operastar.[41] From 2012 – 2015, he was the host of the German Echo Klassik awards. Since 2011, he has hosted his own programme on Arte TV, featuring the "Stars of tomorrow".[42] He presents a daily show on Germany's Klassik Radio and hosts a show on France's Radio Classique.[43]

Villazón appeared as an Italian opera singer in the 2024 film Cabrini.[44][45]

Personal Life

Villazón is married to Lucia who was his fellow student at the Mexican Academy of Performing Arts in Mexico City. They met when he was sixteen and she was fifteen. Lucia encouraged him to pursue a singing career rather than becoming a priest.[46][47][48][49]

They live in Paris with their two sons, Dario and Mateo.[49]

Discography

  • Romeo y Julieta (CD, 2002), Radio Televisión Española
  • Der fliegende Holländer (CD, 2002), Teldec Classics
  • Berlioz: La Révolution grecque (CD, 2004), EMI Classics
  • Italian Opera Arias (CD, 2004), Virgin Classics
  • Gounod & Massenet Arias (CD, 2005), Virgin Classics
  • Tristan und Isolde (CDs and DVD, 2005), EMI Classics
  • Don Carlo (two DVDs, 2005), Opus Arte
  • La traviata (CD, 2005), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Merry Christmas (soundtrack) (CD, 2005), Virgin Classics
  • Opera Recital (CD; bonus edition with DVD, 2006), Virgin Classics
  • La traviata (DVD; premium two-DVD edition, including behind-the-scenes material and rehearsals) (2006), Salzburger Festspiele 2005, Deutsche Grammophon
  • La bohème (DVD, 2006), Bregenzer Festspiele 2002, ORF and Capriccio
  • Monteverdi: Il combattimento (CD; bonus edition with DVD, 2006), Virgin Classics
  • Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore (DVD, 2006), Virgin Classics
  • The Berlin Concert: Live from the Waldbühne (DVD, 2006), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Gitano (CD; bonus edition with DVD, February 2007), Virgin Classics
  • Duets, featuring Rolando Villazón and Anna Netrebko (CD; bonus edition with DVD, March 2007), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Viva Villazón (compilation CD, 2007), Virgin Classics
  • La bohème (live recording, two-CD set, 2008), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Cielo e mar (CD, 2008), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Roméo et Juliette (two DVDs, Salzburger Festspiele 2008) (2009), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Georg Friedrich Händel (CD/CD+DVD, 2009), Deutsche Grammophon
  • La bohème (DVD, 2009)
  • ¡México! (2010)
  • Vivaldi: Ercole sul Termodonte, with Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante (CD, 2010), Erato
  • La strada – Songs from the Movies (CD, 2011), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Don Giovanni (CD, 2012), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Villazón Verdi (CD, 2012), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Werther (CD, 2012), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Così fan tutte (CD, 2013), Deutsche Grammophon
  • L'elisir d'amore (DVD, 2014), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Die Entführung aus dem Serail (CD, 2015), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Treasures of Belcanto (CD, 2015), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Messiah (CD, 2016), with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square
  • Le nozze di Figaro (CD, 2016), Deutsche Grammophon
  • O Come Little Children (2017)
  • Duets (CD, 2017), Deutsche Grammophon
  • La clemenza di Tito (CD, 2018), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Feliz Navidad (CD, 2018), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Die Zauberflöte (CD, 2019), Deutsche Grammophon
  • Serenata Latina (CD, 2020), Deutsche Grammophon

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rolando Villazón". Decca Records. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
  2. ^ Radio France, "Rolando Villazón", March 16, 2009. Archived June 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Malabares. Grupo Planeta Spain. April 4, 2013. ISBN 978-84-670-2858-4.
  4. ^ "Catalogue: Kunststücke". Rolando Villazón. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  5. ^ "Rolando Villazón". Opéra national de Paris (in French).
  6. ^ "Rolando Villazón". Classic FM. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  7. ^ "13 Facts You Didn't Know About Rolando Villazón". Thetabernaclechoir.org. December 9, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Rolando Villazón in the 2025 Mozart Week". Operalia. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  9. ^ "Winners". Operalia. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  10. ^ "Rolando Villazón". Lucerne Festival. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  11. ^ Mahlke, Sybill (February 9, 2015). "Placido Domingo in "Macbeth" an der Staatsoper: Das Timbre der Seele". Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  12. ^ "Wiederkehr als Macduff". Staatsoper Berlin Blog (in German). December 31, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  13. ^ "Barenboim, Villazón, Domashenko (Berlin, 2006, intégrale)". Ôlyrix (in French). March 27, 2026. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  14. ^ "Heilige Johanna der Schmachthöfe". Merkur.de (in German). May 1, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  15. ^ "Rolando Villazón". Home (in German). Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  16. ^ "Rolando Villazón on medici.tv". medici.tv. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  17. ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (September 13, 2007). "Tenor Takes Time Off, Cites Health". The New York Times.
  18. ^ Westphal, Matthew (September 12, 2007). "Tenor Rolando Villazón Cancels Performances Through Year's End, Including Met, Covent Garden, Carnegie Hall". Playbill Arts.
  19. ^ Sweeting, Adam (January 12, 2010). "Rolando Villazón interview". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  20. ^ Silverman, Mike (March 22, 2010). "Big ovation as Villazón returns to opera in Vienna". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  21. ^ Morrison, Richard (May 5, 2010). "Rolando Villazón at the Festival Hall, SE1". The Times. London.
  22. ^ Jeal, Erica (December 18, 2012). "La bohème – review". The Guardian. London. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  23. ^ Wurzel, Christoph (August 28, 2011). "Sommerfestspiele 2011". Don Giovanni / Online Musik Magazin (in German). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  24. ^ "Ein Hirtenkönig zum Hören". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). April 13, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  25. ^ "Il re pastore • Salzburg Festival 2012". Salzburg Festival. March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  26. ^ "Rolando Villazón". Deutsche Oper Berlin. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  27. ^ "Dream-Team an der Berliner Staatsoper für Martinůs Julietta". bachtrack.com (in German). Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  28. ^ "Zeitlose Trauer". Kreiszeitung.de (in German). September 4, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  29. ^ "The Santa Fe Opera Announces 2023 Season". Santafeopera.org. June 22, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  30. ^ "L'Orfeo – Oper – Semperoper Dresden". Semperoper.de. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  31. ^ Woolfe, Zachary (December 9, 2021). "A Tenor's Met Career Seemed Over. Not So Fast". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  32. ^ "Staatsoper Unter den Linden: So startet der neue Berliner "Ring"". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  33. ^ "Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum". mozarteum.at (in German). Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  34. ^ Salzburg-Krone (October 6, 2022). "Stiftung Mozarteum: Rolando Villazón bleibt Leiter". Kronen Zeitung (in German). Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  35. ^ Wild, Stephi Lincoln Center Theater Will Honor Robert Downey Jr. And Susan Downey at Annual Spring Gala BroadwayWorld, March 6, 2026
  36. ^ Picard, Anna (January 30, 2011). "Review: Werther, Opéra National de Lyon". The Independent. London.
  37. ^ Blum, Ronald (October 7, 2025). "Rolando Villazón directs opera at the world's top houses while still singing". The Rapid City Post. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  38. ^ "Stage Direction – Rolando Villazón". Rolando Villazón. February 2, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  39. ^ "Yanni, Inspirato: Exclusive Album Premiere". Billboard. April 22, 2014. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016.
  40. ^ "Rolando Villazón | Discography". Deutschegrammophon.com. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  41. ^ "Popstar to Operastar: Mentors and critics". ITV. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  42. ^ "Stars von morgen – Folge 27". Myfidelio.at. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  43. ^ Radio, Klassik. "Rolando Villazón". Klassik Radio (in German). Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  44. ^ Greydanus, Steven D. "Cabrini celebrates human dignity and solidarity; the saint remains an enigma". Decent Films. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  45. ^ Hermannsen, Holger (September 10, 2025). "Die Gesandte des Papstes: Rolando Villazón ab heute im Kino". Klassik Radio (in German). Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  46. ^ León, Francisco (February 19, 2010). "Mexico's gift to opera, Rolando Villazon". MexConnect. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  47. ^ "Rolando Villazón – Biography". Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  48. ^ "Tenor ascending: Rolando Villazon earns praise as opera's 'real thing'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 30, 2005. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  49. ^ a b "Rolando Villazón: Lord of the high Cs breaks on the rocks". The Times. May 9, 2010. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
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