^{KS Francisco Araiza, tenor (Mexico)
Masterclass: vocal technique and interpretation.}

Tenor KS Francisco Araiza hardly needs any introduction, as he is one of the world’s most legendary singers. Although best known early in his career as the leading Mozart and Rossini specialist of his generation, his wide repertoire later encompassed some of the most challenging roles of the spinto and the dramatic repertoires, including Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Alfredo in La Traviata, the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, Riccardo III in Un ballo in maschera, Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino, the title role in Don Carlo, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Cavaradossi in Tosca, the title role in Andrea Chénier, Des Grieux in Manon, the title roles in Faust, Hoffmann, Werther, Romeo in Roméo et Juliette, Don José in Carmen as well as heroic roles in Wagner and Strauss operas in addition to Beethoven's Florestan in Fidelio.
 

He has performed on all of the world's greatest stages, festivals and recital and concert venues, and collaborated with all of the greatest conductors, stage directors and singer colleagues of his generation.Some highlights of his extraordinary and unusual career include: his debut in 1980 at the Salzurg Festival upon being personally invited by the legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan, under whose baton he had by then recorded, Tamino; singing Belmonte in the last operatic production ever conducted by Karl Bohm that same year; his 1983 participation in the Jean-Pierre Ponelle production of Manon at the Vienna State Opera which marked the beginning of his transition to a heavier Fach in a production signed by Ken Russell, later recorded under the baton of Sir Colin Davis; being awarded the “Best musical event of the year 1988” prize for his Liederabend in Tokyo, Japan; his triumphal debuts as Lohengrin in 1990 in Venice (conducted by Christian Thielemann), as Walter von Stolzing at the Metropolitan Opera in 1993 (staged by Otto Schenk and conducted by James Levine); and finally, as Loge in Robert Wilson’s production of Wagner’s Ring in Zürich.
 

Amongst other awards, he is the recipient of the Mozart Medal from the Mexico City Univeristy in 1991; the “Otello d’Oro” Mario del Monaco prize in 1995; and the “Goldener Merkur” prize for the best performer in Munich in 1996. In addition to his numerous operatic recordings, KS Francisco Araiza is also known for his multiple recordings of Lieder for the world’s most prominent recording labels, including Deutsche Grammophon.

Session I

www.franciscoaraiza.com