Rolando Villazón

Born in Mexico City, Rolando Villazón studied at the conservatory of his native country before joining the young artist programs in Pittsburgh and at the San Francisco Opera. He quickly rose to prominence after winning several prizes at the Operalia competition in 1999.

That same year, he made his European debut as Des Grieux in Manon in Genoa, as Alfredo in Paris, and as Macduff at the Berlin State Opera. Since then, he has appeared at major international opera houses and at the Salzburg Festival.

As a concert artist, Rolando Villazón has performed at London’s Barbican Hall, the Philharmonies in Berlin and Cologne, the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Gewandhaus Leipzig, and the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Rome.

He made his directorial debut in Lyon in 2011 and has since staged productions at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Graz Opera, and the Vienna Volksoper.

Since 2017, he has served as Artistic Director of the Mozart Week in Salzburg. At the Vienna State Opera, his roles have included Werther, Roméo, Duca, Hoffmann, Des Grieux (Manon), Alfredo, Nemorino, Rodolfo, Lenski, and Don Ottavio.