Meet Our 2019 Audition Winners
Jacinta Barbachano
Soprano
Jacinta Barbachano is a graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), studying under Maestro Rufino Montero. She has studied with Francisco Araiza, Ramon Vargas, Christa Ludwig, Javier Camarena, Jennifer Larmore, among others, and is currently a student of Maestra Luis Bezrokova in Mexico City.
Gamaliel Reynoso
Counter-tenor
Gamaliel Reynoso, Countertenor
Education/Training
Originally from Toluca, Gamaliel Reynoso received his degree in opera performance from the Conservatorio nacional de musica in Mexico City, and studied in intensive courses in Baroque opera interpretation in Europe.
Jennifer Mariel Velasco
Soprano
Education/Training
Jennifer Mariel Velasco graduated from the Escuela Superior de Música, with the soprano Amelia Sierra as her principal vocal professor. She has also studied under Ramón Vargas, María Katzarava, James Demster, Stefano Ragusini, Alfredo Dominguez, Meagan Amelia Brus, Ivan López Reynoso, among others.
Denis Velez
Denis Velez, Soprano
Education/Training
Denis Velez, born in Puebla, Mexico, received her degree in opera performance from the Escuela superior de musica in Mexico City. She has also studied with Francisco Araiza, Ramon Vargas, Michael Sylvester, Ted Taylor and Andres Sarre.
In 2019 she was invited to join the Ryan Opera Center young artist program of the Chicago Lyric Opera as a member of the 2020-21 class and is now in residence in Chicago.
The winners went on to the Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans in January 2020.
Denis Velez took first prize, went on to the semi-final and final rounds on the MetOpera stage in March, 2020 , and became the first Mexican singer ever named a Grand Finals Concert winner.
Jennifer Velasco took third prize and was invited to audition for the Domingo-Colburn-Stein
Young Artist Program at the Los Angeles Opera and for the artist diploma program at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana university. The global health crisis has prevented her from pursuing these opportunities.
Jacinta Barbachano, Soprano
Education/Training
Jacinta Barbachano is a graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), studying under Maestro Rufino Montero. She has studied with Francisco Araiza, Ramon Vargas, Christa Ludwig, Javier Camarena, Jennifer Larmore, among others, and is currently a student of Maestra Luis Bezrokova in Mexico City.
Career
She performed as a soloist with the UNAM Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the UNAM’s Nezahualcoyotl Concert Hall and with the Estanislao Mejia Symphony Orchestra at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City. In 2018 she made her solo debut with the Mexican national opera company at the Palacio de Bellas Artes as Cherubino, in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro.
Awards
First prize winner, Maria Bonilla Competition/UNAM Music Faculty, Mexico City
First prize winner, Francisco Araiza Vocal Competition
Best Young Talent award, Accademia Belcanto International Vocal Competition, Graz, Austria
Second prize winner, audience favorite award and Kneedler Memorial Award for outstanding performance, Opera San Miguel Concurso XX, San Miguel de Allende, MX
Second prize and Opera de Bellas Artes award, Carlo Morelli Voice Competition, Mexico City
Winner, 2019 MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions and finalist in the MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans, LA in 2020.
Gamaliel Reynoso, Countertenor
In 2019 he became the first countertenor ever invited to study in the Opera Studio of
the Mexican national opera company, Bellas Artes. He completes his second year there in December, 2020.
Career
He has performed in Mexico, Spain, Italy, France and the United States. In 2018 & 2019 he was a soloist in the Mozart Requiem with Chorale San Miguel in San Miguel de Allende, MX. In 2020 he performed lead roles in the very first Mexican performances of L’incoronazione di Poppea, in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende, GTO, and will soon make his solo debut on the stage of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, in W.A. Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba.
Awards
2016 – second prize winner in the World Contertenor Competition in Havana, Cuba
2017 – fourth prize winner in the Opera San Miguel Concurso
2017 – second prize winner & recipient of Best Interpretation award, Carlo Morelli voice competition, Mexico City
2017 – finalist, Ravello Citta della musica competition, Italy
2018 – winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions in San Miguel de Allende, MX and honorable mention recipient, MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans, LA
2019 – winner, MONC Mexico District auditions and finalist, MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions
Jennifer Velasco, Soprano
Education/Training
Jennifer Mariel Velasco graduated from the Escuela Superior de Música, with the soprano Amelia Sierra as her principal vocal professor. She has also studied under Ramón Vargas, María Katzarava, James Demster, Stefano Ragusini, Alfredo Dominguez, Meagan Amelia Brus, Ivan López Reynoso, among others.
Career
She debuted in the main role of Bastien und Bastienne by Mozart. She participated in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Jonathan Dove in the Theater of the Arts. She has sung with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Universidad Autónoma Nacional in the Nezahualcóyotl Hall. She has worked under the baton of Srba Dinić, Guido Maria Guida, Matteo Pagliari, Pablo Valera, Stefano Ragusini, among others.
Main roles
Zerlina in “Don Giovanni”, Bastienne in “Bastien und Bastienne” and Susanna in “Le nozze di Figaro” by W. A. Mozart; Rosaura in “The adventures of Pinocchio” by Jonathan Dove; Little Red Riding Hood in “Little Red Riding Hood” by Seymour Barab; Apoidea in “Apoidea, breve ópera hexagonal” by José Miguel Delgado and Mimí in “La Bohéme” by G. Puccini.
Awards
2015 – Winner, Youth revelation Award, Carlo Morelli Voice Competition
2017 – First place and Best Interpretation of Mexican Music prize in the XXI edition of the Maritza Aleman Competition
2019 – First place in Zarzuela, 3rd place and the Opera prize, Carlo Morelli Voice Competition
2019 – Youthful Potential Award, Opera San Miguel Concurso
2019 – Finalist, international Competizione del Opera, Sochi, Russia
2019 – Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions
2020 – 3rd Place, Gulf Coast Region auditions, MetOpera National Council
2020 – 3rd Place and Audience Favorite Award, Opera San Miguel Concurso
2020 – First place, first annual Distanced Opera Voices for World Brotherhood competition
2020 – Finalist, Accademia Maggio Musicale Fiorentino competition, Florence, Italy
Denis Velez, Soprano
Education/Training
Denis Velez, born in Puebla, Mexico, received her degree in opera performance from the Escuela superior de musica in Mexico City. She has also studied with Francisco Araiza, Ramon Vargas, Michael Sylvester, Ted Taylor and Andres Sarre.
In 2019 she was invited to join the Ryan Opera Center young artist program of the Chicago Lyric Opera as a member of the 2020-21 class and is now in residence in Chicago.
Repertoire
Her repertoire includes Contessa and Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne, Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, and Mimi in Puccini’s La Boheme.
Awards
2018 – Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions and honorable mention recipient, MONC Gulf Coast Region auditions in New Orleans, LA.
2019 – Third prize winner, Opera San Miguel Concurso
2019 – First prize winner, French Opera Award winner, Francisco Araiza Special Award winner, Carlo Morelli Voice Competition, Mexico City
2019 – Winner, MetOpera National Council (MONC) Mexico District auditions
2020 – First prize winner, MetOpera National Council, Gulf Coast Region auditions
2020 – First prize winner, MetOpera National Council Grand Finals, Metropolitan Opera House, NYC