Tenor René Barbera, a graduate of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, has swiftly established himself as one of today’s most exciting young artists.

The first sole recipient of all three awards of the Operalia, he recently made his company and role debut as Elvino La sonnambula with Washington Concert Opera, followed by his debut with Michigan Opera Theater as Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia, and his return to Lyric Opera of Chicago for his role debut as Ernesto Don Pasquale. He sang performances of Don Ramiro La Cenerentola in his debuts with Seattle Opera and Los Angeles Opera, and was heard as Almaviva at the Stanislavsky Music Theatre in Moscow. In the summer of 2013, he made his Santa Fe Opera debut as Rodrigo in Rossini’s La donna del lago.

Recent and future highlights include Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera National de Paris, Ramiro in San Francisco Opera’s production of La Cenerentola, Tonio La fille du Regiment with Greensboro Opera, Almaviva Barbiere with Los Angeles Opera, and a return to San Francisco Opera to sing the role of Iopas in Berlioz’s epic Les Troyens.