Juan Diego Flórez is not able to say exactly what distinguishes bel canto.

As the name suggests, it's all about "beautiful singing," says the Austrian-Peruvian star tenor, who can be heard on December 1st at the invitation of DEAG Classics AG with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra in Frankfurt's Alte Oper.

Guido Holze

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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In the subject in which he became world-famous, as a "tenore di grazia", ​​a special agility of the voice in the coloraturas is required above all, "acrobatic, but with expression", as he says.

He will give samples of this in his mixed aria program.

An aria from Rossini's "La Cenerentola" offers "spectacular fireworks", while an excerpt from Donizetti's "Dom Sebastién" is less about coloratura and more about legato culture.

There is a pop singer in this tenor

In addition to well-known numbers, such as from Verdi's "Rigoletto", rarities can also be heard, for example from Puccini's opera debut "Le Villi" and French operas.

He has expanded his repertoire in recent years.

Most recently, Flórez was on stage in London and Vienna in Puccini's "La Bohème".

He was born in Lima, Peru, in 1973.

Through his father, who was a folk singer, he came into contact with music early on, but not at all with classical music at first, says Flórez.

Rather, he was known as a pop singer in his homeland when he was young: "I organized my own concerts and also appeared on television."

He also plays the guitar

In addition, he accompanied himself on the guitar, which one rarely sees or hears from him today.

But maybe he already felt his greater vocal potential: "I wanted to learn to sing better and went to a teacher at the university." He wanted to deal with classical music, he had in mind, so to speak, Luciano Pavarotti or Plácido Domingo imitate.

The teacher first explained to him that he could also apply to study at the conservatory and then not have to pay any money for the lessons.

To make it short: The voice of Flórez, who actually wanted to continue singing pop, developed so well in classical singing that he came to the famous Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia on a scholarship in 1993.

"My mother had to sell her car for $1,000 to pay for my plane ticket," he recalls.

Learning from Rossini means learning to win

The training at the Curtis Institute was "good preparation for life" for him as a singer: "We worked a lot with a large orchestra on stage during our studies." After just three years he got his first job in Europe.

Flórez went to the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, the composer's birthplace.

The great success there marked the beginning of his international career and a new chapter in his life.

Because a few years later he took up residence in Pesaro, which he currently uses mainly in the summer: Flórez is now artistic director of the Rossini Festival himself.

Music for Peru

In addition to his extensive stage work, he has been socially involved in Peru for many years.

Under the impression of a visit to Venezuela, where he got to know the successful project "El sistema" for the musical education of socially disadvantaged children and young people, he founded the "Sinfonía por el Perú" in 2011.

In the meantime, this has become the generic term for several orchestras, choirs and music centers in which around 7,000 children are currently making music, "really good music, even if it's a social project," as Flórez emphasizes.

Last summer, a select orchestra with 80 children toured Europe, including in Lucerne and Salzburg.

In Frankfurt, in the Alte Oper, he has performed several times and is looking forward to returning, he adds.

He is currently devoting himself increasingly to concert performances with orchestra and recitals with piano accompaniment.

In the meantime, his expanded repertoire in the operatic field has led to his appearing at the Vienna State Opera as the “singer” in the first act of Strauss’s “Rosenkavalier”.

A major tour of the United States is planned for January.

On December 1st, from 8 p.m., Juan Diego Flórez can be heard with the Philharmonie Baden-Baden in the Alte Oper.