The prestigious tenor Javier Camarena returns on June 3 to the Cervantes Theater in Malaga

The prestigious Mexican tenor Javier Camarena returns to Málaga on June 3 with a repertoire of Italian, French, and Spanish music included in the series sponsored by the Unicaja Foundation, with collaboration from Fundación Sando and Idealista.

Javier Camarena, who has strong ties to Málaga as he has a family residence here, joins the 36th Lyrical Season of the Teatro Cervantes in Málaga with a recital that will feature Italian and French opera arias, Italian songs, and Spanish zarzuela romances. The Mexican tenor, before moving to live in Málaga (although he is a citizen of the world due to his frequent travels), lived for almost 20 years in Switzerland, but when he discovered Málaga, he did not hesitate in his choice.

In Málaga, the tenor will perform songs by Salvator Rosa, Gaetano Donizetti, Gioachino Rossini, and Francesco Paolo Tosti, arias from operas by Jules Massenet and Giuseppe Verdi, and romances from zarzuelas by José Serrano and Pablo Sorozábal. He will sing with the support of pianist Ángel Rodríguez in a recital titled 'At Home...' and tickets are already on sale with prices ranging from 20 to 65 euros.

The Aztec singer thus joins the lyrical cycle sponsored by the Unicaja Foundation, with collaboration from Fundación Sando and Idealista, which still has scheduled for May the staging of La Edad de Plata. Díptico español, a double program featuring Goyescas by Enrique Granados, and El retablo de Maese Pedro by Manuel de Falla.

The Aztec singer begins his 2024/25 season debuting at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, conducted by musical director Enrique Mazzola and staged by Mary Birnbaum. Later, he sang at the Dallas Opera as Alfredo in La Traviata, staged by Louisa Muller. Camarena's portrayal as Alfredo can also be heard at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, in David McVicar's production of Verdi's tragedy. This season, the tenor returns to Bergamo to perform as Ernesto in Don Pasquale, under the direction of Iván López Reynoso and staged by Amélie Niermeyer. Camarena's operatic season concludes at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, where he performs as Romeo in Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. The tenor also gives solo concerts, among others in Tokyo and Taiwan, and sings at the Abu Dhabi festival. Later this season, he offers a solo recital in Santander and returns to Pamplona for a concert with the Navarra Symphony Orchestra and conductor Perry So.

Born in Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, Javier Camarena studied with mezzo-soprano Cecilia Perfecto at the Universidad Veracruzana before completing his musical studies with honors under the guidance of Hugo Barreiro and María Eugenia Sutti at the Universidad de Guanajuato. In 2004, he won first prize at the Carlo Morelli National Singing Contest in Mexico. The following year, he won the Juan Oncinas Award at the Francisco Viñas Contest in Barcelona, after which he was invited to join the International Opera Studio in Zurich under the mentorship of fellow tenor Francisco Araiza. In 2021, Javier received the International Opera Award in the category of 'Male Singer of the Year'.

Camarena's discography includes three solo titles for Sony: Recitales (2014), Serenata (2015), and a Latin pop album titled Javier Camarena sings to Cri Cri (2016). In August 2018, Decca released his highly anticipated and acclaimed album Contrabandista. He also appears in several opera releases on DVD/Blu-ray (for example, at the Zurich Opera with Mozart's Così fan tutte in 2010, Verdi's Falstaff in 2012, and with Cecilia Bartoli in Rossini's Le comte Ory in 2014).

Music has been a fundamental part of cinema from its beginnings, but no musical form has left as significant an impression on the film industry as 'classical music'. From the early years of silent film to contemporary film productions, classical music has proven to be a powerful tool for conveying emotions, enhancing narratives, and creating remarkable cinematic experiences. In this concert, the professional conservatories of music and dance Manuel Carra and Pepa Flores aim to focus on the important relationship between classical music and cinema, performing on May 7 on the stage of the Teatro Cervantes a set of pieces by classical authors who have influenced or are part of recognized films in the global film industry.