ricardo josÉ rivera. Photo: SImon pauly.

BiO

Lauded by the New York Times for "the evening’s richest instrument — powerful yet capable of softness,” Ricardo José Rivera makes important Verdi role debuts in the 2024-25 season: the title role of Macbeth in the rarely-performed 1847 score in a return to Teatro Nuovo, Stankar in Stiffelio as he returns to Sarasota Opera, and Conte di Luna in Il trovatore with Opera Colorado. He also joins Pittsburgh Opera for Silvio in Pagliacci, Florida Grand Opera as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly in addition to returning to Opera San José as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. Last season, he joined Opera San José for both Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Riolobo en Florencia en el Amazonas and returned to both Sarasota Opera for Miller in Luisa Miller and Teatro Nuovo for Norcesto in the modern premiere of Carolina Uccelli’s bel canto opera, Anna di Resburgo.

A sought-after interpreter of bel canto repertoire, he made his debuts with Teatro Nuovo debut as Severo in Poliuto, Washington Concert Opera as Nottingham in Roberto Devereux, Don Carlo in Ernani with Sarasota Opera, and Silvano in Un ballo in maschera with Riccardo Muti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. His other recent performances include Silvio in Pagliacci with Opera San Antonio, Escamillo in Carmen with Opera de Puerto Rico, Schaunard in La bohème and Alfio in Cavalleria rusticana with CulturArte de Puerto Rico, and joining Houston Grand Opera for its production of Dialogues des Carmélites. With the Aspen Music Festival, he has sung Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Claudio in Béatrice et Bénedict, and Angel #7 in the American premiere of Bedford’s Seven Angels.

With the Lyric Opera of Chicago while a member of the company’s prestigious Ryan Opera Center, he has sung Sharpless and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, Schaunard in La bohème, and Baron Douphol in La traviata—his scheduled performances of Silvio in Pagliacci were cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also covered Marcello in La bohème and the title role of Don Giovanni for the company.

On the concert stage he has sung Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and Collaborative Arts Festival of Chicago, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, and Don Quijote in de Falla’s El retablo de la Maese Pedro at the Casals Festival. He also also been featured in concert with the Mobile Symphony and Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Rivera is a recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant awarded by the Shoshana Foundation. He is a former first prize winner of the Saengerbund Competition and Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition third prize winner in the Gulf Coast Region.

Raves

“Ricardo José Rivera brought a fine, Italianate baritone to Severo, excelling in his aria and earning sympathy.”
— Opera

 

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