Edgardo Rocha is one of today’s foremost interpreters of bel canto repertoire, praised for his warm timbre, lively coloratura, and brilliant high notes. Since making his European debut in the title role of Gianni di Parigi by Donizetti at the Festival della Valle d’Itria di Martina Franca, the tenor is a frequent guest in the world’s leading opera houses and festivals, which include Opernhaus Zürich, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Bayerische Staatsoper, Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival.
Edgardo Rocha is one of today’s foremost interpreters of bel canto repertoire, praised for his warm timbre, lively coloratura, and brilliant high notes. Since making his European debut in the title role of Gianni di Parigi by Donizetti at the Festival della Valle d’Itria di Martina Franca, the tenor is a frequent guest in the world’s leading opera houses and festivals, which include Opernhaus Zürich, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Bayerische Staatsoper, Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival.
In the 2024/25 season, the tenor debuts the role of Florestano in Ferdinando Paër’s rarely performed operatic jewel, Leonora, for Chicago Opera Theater. This is the first fully staged production in the world to use the new critical edition of the score, recently released by Bärenreiter. The production is staged by Lawrence Edelson and led by Dame Jane Glover. In his debut for the Washington Concert Opera, Rocha can be heard in the title role of La clemenza di Tito under the baton of Antony Walker. Rocha returns to the Vienna State Opera for highly anticipated role debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, directed by Barrie Kosky. Don Ottavio is Rocha’s vehicle to return to Opera de Monte-Carlo in Vienna State Opera’s semi-staged production of Don Giovanni as a part of the Mozart à Monaco festival. Further performances in Vienna include Barrie Kosky’s production of Così fan tutte in the role of Ferrando and Ernesto in the revival of Irina Brook’s production of Don Pasquale, and a reprisal of his signature role of Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia.
On the concert stage, Rocha is the tenor soloist in Rossini’s Stabat Mater at the Wiener Konzerthaus, in collaboration with the ORF Radio Symphony Vienna and the Wiener Singakademie under Maestro Oscar Jockel. Rocha also stars at the Slovene National Theatre’s Christmas and New Year’s concert in Ljubljana and Maribor, under the baton of Simon Krečič.
Edgardo Rocha’s 2023/24 season included his first performances with the Los Angeles Opera as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia and role-debuts as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at Opera Monte Carlo and as the titular character in La clemenza di Tito at Salzburg’s Mozartwoche, staged by Rolando Villazón and Bettina Geyer. He returned to Opernhaus Zürich as Lindoro in L’italiana in Algeri and concluded his season with Donizetti’s Tudor trilogy at Grand Théâtre de Genève in his debut of the title role in a new production of Roberto Devereux and reprisal performances as Percy in Anna Bolena and Robert Dudley in Maria Stuarda.
In the 2022/23 season Rocha debuted as Robert Dudley in Maria Stuarda at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, where he also performed as Lord Percy (Anna Bolena) and as Lyonel in Halévy’s L’éclair. With Opernhaus Zürich, he sang his first performances of Gérald in Lakmé and was also heard in the title role in Le comte Ory. Additionally, he returned to Teatro Real de Madrid to perform the role of Don Narciso (Il turco in Italia), was Don Ramiro (La cenerentola) for the Bayerische Staatsoper, sang Elvino (La sonnambula) at Opera Nice Côte d’Azur and at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and appeared as Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at the Salzburger Festspiele.
Throughout Rocha’s career, one of his most eminent roles has been Don Ramiro (La cenerentola), which he has sung in many leading opera houses including Grand Théâtre de Genève, Vienna State Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera de Monte Carlo, and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, among others. In 2017, Rocha took part in a great tournée of La cenerentola together with the mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, celebrating the 200th anniversary of the first performance of Rossini’s masterpiece.
Another cornerstone of Rocha’s repertoire is Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He has seen myriad performances of the role, notably at the Vienna State Opera, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Teatro Real in Madrid, Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Paris Opera, Opernhaus Zürich, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli and at the Salzburg Festival.
Edgardo Rocha has recently appeared as Lindoro (L’italiana in Algeri) at the Vienna State Opera, Gran Teatro di Liceo and Salzburg Festival; Don Narciso (Il turco in Italia) at the Teatro Regio di Torino, Opernhaus Zürich and Teatro alla Scala; Belfiore (ll viaggio a Reims) at Opernhaus Zürich, Semperoper Dresden and the Bolshoi Theatre; and Giacomo V (La donna del lago) at Salzburg Pfingstfestpiele and Opéra de Marseille.
Donizetti has proven to be an essential composer as well for the tenor – Rocha has been heard in the role of Ernesto (Don Pasquale) at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and the Verona Philharmonic Theater; the title role in Gianni di Parigi at the Wexford Opera Festival; and Riccardo Percy (Anna Bolena) in its original version from 1830 at the Opéra de Lausanne.
Among other highlights of Edgardo Rocha’s career are the roles of Ferrando (Così fan tutte) at the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli and Teatro Regio di Torino, Nadir (Les pêcheurs de perles) at Opera de Nancy, Arturo (I Puritani) at the Stuttgart Opernhaus and Leopold in Halevy’s La Juive at the Bayerische Staatsoper alongside Roberto Alagna.
Born in Rivera, Uruguay and educated in piano, choral and orchestra conducting at the Montevideo University School of Music, he studied singing with Alba Tonelli, Beatriz Pazos and Raquel Pierotti. After moving to Italy in 2008, he continued his studies with the tenor Salvatore Fisichella and the Rossini tenor Rockwell Blake. Edgardo won numerous international vocal competitions, including 51º Concurso de Juventudes musicales del Uruguay, Giulio Neri in Siena and Primo Palcoscenico in Cesena.
© CSAM, August 2024
