JESÚS LEÓN, tenor
Biography
Tenor, Jesús León, a native of Hermosillo, Mexico, most recently sang the role of Edgardo in Riverside Lyric Opera’s May, 2008 performances of Lucia di Lammermoor. He had just returned from Europe where he sang the role of Rudolfo in La Bohème and Alfredo in La Traviata in Viterbo, Italy and covered Cavaradossi in Tosca at Royal Albert Hall in London, England. In January he sang at the Solti 10th Anniversary Concert at Wigmore Hall in London. Upcoming engagements in 2008 include a recital for the American Institute of Fine Arts in Los Angeles in September, a concert with Opera del Noroeste and the Sonora Philharmonic in October and 4 concerts with the Orchestra of Bangkok in Thailand in November. In 2009, Jésus will cover Don José in Carmen with Raymond Gubbay Ltd. at Royal Albert Hall in London in February and sing 6 concerts at the Classical Spectacular concert also in Royal Albert Hall in March. In the summer of 2007, Jésus joined Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Singer Program and covered the role of Ferrando in Così fan Tutte. He was an inaugural member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program for 2006/2007 at LA Opera. In April 2007, Jesús performed concerts for the Italian Ambassador in London and for the Princess of Chimay in Brussels. He was a member of the 2006 Solti Accademia di bel Canto where he was coached by Mirella Freni and performed three concerts under the conductor Gianna Fratta in Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto and Firenze, Italy. Also in 2006 he covered Lindoro/Almaviva in The Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. At the 2005 New Opera Festival di Roma, Jesús performed the roles of Rodolfo, and The Duke of Mantua under the conductor Stefano Vignati. With the Festival Euromediterraneo he sang the tenor solo in Carmina Burana in the Roman Amphitheater Ostia Antica under the conductor Laura Simionato. Soon after, he joined the prestigious Boston Opera Institute where he performed the leading tenor roles in Weill’s Mahagonny and Youkali, as well as in Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, and A Month in the Country under the conductor William Lumpkin. In 2004, Jesus performed the role of Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore with the Sonora Philharmonic in Mexico and 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. In addition he has performed concerts in Los Angeles’s Herbert Zipper Hall, the Ernesto Lecuona Hall, the Teatro America, the Museo de la Musica in Havana, Cuba, at Arizona University, and in Palm Springs. He performed as featured soloist at the 2005 and 2007 Equestrian World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, an event televised by NBC Sports. Subsequently, Jesus has been invited frequently to perform at other prominent equestrian events around the United States. He has won grants from the Peretti Foundation, Solti Foundation, Palm Springs Opera Guild, Institute Sonora of Culture and Opera Buffs of Los Angeles. He has studied with Vladimir Chernov, Juliana Gondek, Mark Oswald, Cesar Ulloa, Sharon Daniels, Stephen Lord, William Vendice, Tito Capobianco, Jesus Li and Marybel Ferrales.