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Ernesto Ramirez
Mexican tenor Ernesto Ramírez is garnering rave reviews for his distinctive Italianate sound, his youthful exuberance, and for his expressive musicality.
He has performed to great acclaim for audiences in France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, the United States and has recently made his long awaited debut in his homeland of Mexico at both the iconic Teatro del Bicentenario and the Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Most recently while engaged as a cover for the title role of ROBERTO DEVEREUX with the Canadian Opera Company, he was given a performance alongside soprano Sondra Radvanovsky. Recent and upcoming operatic engagements include Tamino in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE with Palacio de Bellas Artes, Ramiro in LA CENERENTOLA with Teatro del Bicentenario in Mexico and with the Rossini in Wildbad Belcanto Opera Festival in Germany, Nadir in LES PECHEURS DE PERLES with Opera Hamilton, Leicester in MARIA STUARDA with Pacific Opera Victoria, Nemorino in LʼELISIR DʼAMORE with Opéra de Angers-Nantes, Festival Folies DʼO Montpellier and with Sarasota Opera, the title role in STIFFELIO, Raoul in Meyerbeer's LES HUGUENOTS (Canadian premiere), Rinaldo in ARMIDA, Decio in the rarely performed LA VESTALE by Mercadante and Arturo in I PURITANI with Toronto's Opera in Concert, Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA with the Sarasota Opera, Javier in LUISA FERNANDA with Toronto Operetta Theatre, Il Conte d'Almaviva in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA for Opera Hamilton, and Ruiz in IL TROVATORE starring Ramon Vargas and Alfred (Cover) in DIE FLEDERMAUS with The Canadian Opera Company.
In the United States he has performed Rinuccio in GIANNI SCHICCHI for Santa Barbara Opera and for UCLA Opera, Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA with Opera in the Ozarks in Arkansas, Rodolfo in LA BOHEME and Il Conte dʼAlmaviva in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, both at the Opera Institute of Boston University. As a young artist at the Opera Institute of Boston University, Ramírez appeared as Lázaro Carriles in the world premiere of BEFORE NIGHT FALLS and he performed other contemporary roles such as Mr. Owen in POSTCARDS FROM MAROCCO and Jonathan Orfeo in HOSTAGE.
His activities on the concert stage as a featured soloist include the MESSIAH with the Brott Festival in Hamilton, Beethoven's NINTH SYMPHONY with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Grand Rapids Symphony and Paulus' To be Certain of the Dawn with the Grand Rapids Symphony, an Opera Gala with the Opéra de Quebec, an Opera Gala in Zurich with Francisco Araiza, a concert of operatic favorites with the Brott Festival, solo performances with the Israeli Opera Studio in Tel-Aviv, an Opera Gala at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, various concerts at the Degollado Theater in Guadalajara, Mexico, a concert with the New West Symphony Young Artists with Maestro Boris Brott, Boston Pops Opening Night with Maestro Keith Lockhart and with the Boston Lyric Opera in their concert series. He also received an invitation to sing at The 150th Anniversary of Puccini, a gala hosted by Simonetta Puccini.
He has won numerous awards, including First Place Winner of the Kahn Award Foundation, the Giulio Gari Foundation, The Performing Arts Foundation, the Léni Fé Bland Foundation, the Profant Foundation, and the ORCH Foundation. He has received awards from The Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions in Los Angeles, the Society of Singers Foundation and the New West Symphony Young Artist Prize. The Jaume Aragall competition granted Ramírez with a Public Master Class Prize.
Ramírez earned a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet performance from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, and he graduated from Boston Universityʼs Opera Institute under the guidance of Soprano Sharon Daniels. His coaches, teachers, and mentors include Armen Guzelimian, Joan Dornemann, Rachel Andrist, Engelberto Aguilar, Harlan Snow, Oscar Samano, Bruno Pola, Jerry Hadley, Maria Spacagna, Piero Giuliacci, Francisco Araiza, Raúl Giménez, Elisabetta Fiorillo, Jaume Aragall and Ramón Vargas.
He holds dual Mexican and American citizenship and makes his home in Toronto, Canada.