Ainhoa Arteta is one of the most recognized sopranos in the world. Making her debut as Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme is not easy. Even less so if it is on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York. However, Ainhoa succeeded, and with flying colors. This debut, along with the prize from the Concours International de Voix d’Opera in Paris, marked the beginning of a brilliant career.
The list of stages where she has performed is dizzying: from the Metropolitan Opera to Carnegie Hall, Covent Garden, Bayerische Staatsoper, Bellas Artes Theater in Mexico City, Vienna Musikverein, La Scala in Milan, Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, San Carlo in Naples, Verona Arena, Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, Royal Opera House in London, Teatro Real in Madrid, Gran Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona, among others. This has allowed her to embody leading roles in operas such as La Traviata, La Boheme, Romeo et Juliette, Manon Lescaut, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Adriana Lecouvreur, La Wally.
AINHOA ARTETA - Soprano
At the age of just 5, she heard Maria Callas singing, and from then on, she has been in love with opera. She began singing in her father's Coral Eresoinka and at the age of 12 she joined the San Sebastián Conservatory.
At the age of 18, she moved to Italy, where she received classes from Ettore Campogalliani, Pavarotti and Freni's teacher. Years later, she moved to New York, where she continued her interpretive training at the Actor’s Studio.
Currently, Ainhoa continues to train constantly. It is worth highlighting the advice of maestro Ruth Falcon, who passed away on October 9, 2020 at the age of 77, and who has been a mentor and reference for soprano Ainhoa Arteta.
Among her great successes are her role in Cyrano de Bergerac alongside Plácido Domingo at the San Francisco Opera and at the Teatro Real; La Bohème at the Metropolitan and La Scala in Milan, Otello in A Coruña, Turandot, Carmen and La Bohème at the Liceu, Dialogues des Carmélites, Eugene Onegin and Simon Boccanegra at ABAO, the premiere in Paris of the opera “Le dernier jour d’un condamné”, Don Carlo at the Oviedo Opera and Don Giovanni at the Teatro Real, among others.
However, Ainhoa does not seek to be typecast in operatic performances, which is why she also offers recitals and concerts with great maestros such as Sir Neville Marriner, Christian Badea, and Pablo González, and pianists such as Marco Evangelisti, Rubén Fernández Aguirre, Malcolm Martineau and Javier Cármena.
LUIS SANTANA - Baritone
This Zamoran baritone began his musical studies at the age of five and has trained with renowned teachers such as Juana Peñalver, Consuelo Barrio, María Teresa Manzano, Miguel Zanetti, tenor Pedro Lavirgen, and Teresa Berganza. He has performed in some of the most important theaters and concert halls in Spain, including the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Auditorio Nacional de Música, the Maestranza de Sevilla, the Teatro Cervantes de Málaga, the Teatro Calderón de Valladolid, and the Victoria Eugenia de San Sebastián, as well as developing an intense international activity in cities such as Rome, Paris, Milan, Budapest, Vienna, Lisbon, and Riga. He has worked under the baton of prestigious conductors and starred in memorable concerts such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Auditorio Nacional alongside the Orfeón Donostiarra, Mozart's Requiem at Seville Cathedral, Brahms' Requiem at the Old Cathedral of Salamanca, and notable tributes to Teresa Berganza, Victoria de los Ángeles, and Ainhoa Arteta.
His artistic versatility has allowed him to tackle a wide repertoire spanning opera, zarzuela, oratorio, and recitals. He has participated in major national and international festivals and shared the stage with prominent figures in the Spanish music and theater scene. Among his most notable performances are concerts before Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain at the Basilica of El Pilar in Zaragoza, collaborations with artists such as Nati Mistral, Paco Valladares, and Rosa Torres-Pardo. His career has established him as one of the most recognized and appreciated voices in the Spanish lyrical repertoire.
Another of the programs on tour is its Christmas and New Year Concert, an extraordinary recital that invites the public to start the year in the best possible way, through a brilliant journey through some of the most famous pages of opera, zarzuela, and lyrical song, combining emotion, virtuosity, and closeness. The extraordinary voice and charisma of Ainhoa Arteta are joined by the interpretive sensitivity of Luis Santana and the refined piano accompaniment of Víctor Carbajo to offer a unique evening, full of beauty, emotion, and celebration.
