Los Angeles’s Verdi Chorus kicks off its 39^th season with a concert dedicated to the memory of their patriarch Maestro Aurelio De La Vega

By Cris Franco

Cuban-born, Aurelio de la Vega taught, mentored and inspired students, performers and artists, including visual artists whom he encouraged and patronized. Testimonies abound of both his generosity and his uncanny ability to affect lives, both personally and through his music. “He was one of those people you must remember as ‘before and after’,” one of his students  remarked. In addition to his work as a composer, de la Vega distinguished himself as poet, essayist and human rights advocate. 

In 1959, the mature composer moved permanently to Los Angeles. The fall of the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship had caught him in the middle of a U.S. lecture tour, after which he returned to Havana. But after a brief stay, the hostile context he found persuaded him to emigrate. In the U.S., once he had become a citizen, de la Vega became a vocal critic of the Castro regime, particularly its dismal record of human rights abuses and persecution of dissident artists and intellectuals, all of which had contributed to the destruction of a free Cuban culture. In reaction, de la Vega saw his ever-growing catalog and world-wide acclaim banned consistently in Cuba from all mention and performance, including air waves. Only in 2009, half a century after going into exile, as an overdue recognition of lifetime achievement, was Intrata (1972), one of his more ambitious works, performed publicly in Havana by the Cuban National Orchestra.

A prolific composer, lecturer, essayist, and poet.  His impressive catalog includes orchestral, chamber, vocal, piano and electronic works and his commissions were sought the world over. Throughout his long career he garnered  numerous recognitions, among them the Friedheim Award of the Kennedy Center for the performing arts which he received twice (1978, 1984), the Cintas Foundation William B. Warren Lifetime Achievement Award; the Carlos Vo Hispanic Imperial Order, of which he was made a member; and four nominations to the Latin Grammy Awards, three times for Best Classical Contemporary Composition and once for Best Classical Album.

In his honor, the Verdi Chorus has just announced the Maestro Aurelio De La Vega Guest Artist Fund which will provide enhanced funding for guests artists that perform with the group. Chorus President Frank Strauss said, “Aurelio De La Vega was a key figure for both the classical music world  and the Verdi Chorus itself. One of his greatest joys was discovering and nurturing talent. During his life, he personally sponsored the guest sopranos that sang with the Verdi Chorus.  This new fund, created in his honor, will extend  into the future financial support to all guest artists who sing with the Verdi Chorus, and will serve as a way to continue the Maestro’s important legacy.”

Of their spring concert, titled “Hélas mon Coeur” (Alas my heart) conductor Anne Marie Ketchum says, “The title for this program feels appropriate on so many levels. Aside from being the title of one of the most beautiful ensembles from Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, the phrase itself, ‘Alas, my heart’ sums up both the losses we have all experienced over the past two years, and the bittersweet hope for what lies ahead as we launch our 39th season. It’s a strong and emotive program which our three sensational guest artists including renowned baritone Roberto Perlas Gómez who, with over 100 roles to his credit, has performed extensively throughout the United States.” 

Performance times are Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, May 15 at 2:00 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica, located at 1220 2^nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401.  

Tickets are available for purchase at www.verdichorus.org. 

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By Cris Franco

The program’s operatic stars include the visually and vocally voluptuous soprano Shana Blake Hill; the dark and hypnotic mezzo-soprano Audry Babcock; tenor great Alex Boyer and world-renowned baritone Robert Perlas Gomez will headline the Verdi Chorus on Nov. 12 & 13.

Joining this season’s stellar talents are the stars of tomorrow’s opera stages and recital halls, namely the members of the Chorus’s Apprentice Singers program which includes soprano Ariana Flores, mezzo Bianca Gutierrez and tenor Cesar Ballardin.  Each of these up-and-coming artists will receive a scholarship to broaden their music studies. Of the opportunity to sing alongside such musical luminaries, Ms. Gutierrerz says, “It means a lot for me. I feel blessed with this amazing opportunity because I’m learning a lot. It’s completely different than other courses or masterclasses that I’ve taken. The Verdi Chorus is an excellent organization. Full of good energy and positivism.”  

Following the many months of COVID shut-down, conductor Anne Marie Ketchum says, “I am so excited for this upcoming concert, and profoundly grateful that the Verdi Chorus can once again safely sing in person. It’s something our Verdi Chorus family has longed for continually over the past year and a half,” she told us. “The title of our concert, Ritorna Vincitori! is taken from one of the most famous and recognizable arias in Verdi’s Aida, in which Aida wishes for the victorious return of her lover. And now music has returned victoriously in the most personal way. Through these past weeks of rehearsal, it has become clearer than ever how much we need the arts, and in particular, the ability to experience the arts in person. It is through this experience we maintain not only our sanity but the very core of what makes us human.”

Following the long COVID shut-down, all the performers are anxious about their return to live performing. Especially Mr. Ballardin who said, “I am thrilled to see people filling the seats in the house. Being able to sing for a live audience completes the opera experience. Without the audience, it just feels like a rehearsal. The audience plays a huge role in how we perform because we feed off of their energy.”

If you’re ready for an energizing evening of world-class voices singing the greatest music ever written, log onto: www.verdichorus.org

Featured Photo: Bianca Gutierrez and César Ballardin (Photo: Verdi Chorus)

The post Dynamic Comeback for Verdi Chorus Featuring Latinx Vocalists in “Ritorna Vincitori!” first appeared on .

By Cris Franco

Dynamic tenor, Luis Fernando Ruiz, has been selected to join L.A.’s prestigious Verdi Chorus for their upcoming program, “Sound and Fury” on November 16^th & 17^th (Show info below). Presently working on his Master’s in Music at CSUN, we caught up with this busy 27-year-old to discuss opera, acting and who he is meant to be. 

Cris Franco (CF): Like so many vocalists, I hear that you got your start singing in church?

Luis Fernando Ruiz (LFR): Yes. After graduating from high school, I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I did know that I loved singing. So, never thinking I’d actually get in, I auditioned for the music program at the University of Phoenix and just happened into classical music. I was overjoyed when I was accepted. 

CF: Did you come from a musical family?

LFR: Not really. My grandfather sang, not professionally, but he always just sang or hummed or whistled. Plus he and I always watched those old Mexican rancheras on Spanish-language TV. Those musicals with Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, Javier Solis. And those guys really sang legit. I mean, they had amazing voices! They were really inspiring. 

CF: What inspired you to audition for the Verdi Chorus’s Apprentice Singers scholarship program? 

LFR: I’ve wanted to audition for years. After I got to know the director/conductor Anne Marie Ketchum, I was taken by her passion and kindness. So, I gave it my best shot and here I am! I’m very thankful for the opportunity because the chorus performs opera’s greatest choral works, so it’s more than just a chorus. The songs exist within a story. I so impressed by how Anne Marie brings out the performer in the choristers. They’re a wonderful group of people.

CF: What has been your journey to singing with the Verdi Chorus? 

LFR: I started seriously studying voice at the late age of twenty. At first I didn’t know my voice type.

CF: From your speaking voice, I’d say you sound like a lyric baritone or a second tenor?  

LFR: Both. My voice is placed in between (baritone and tenor) and it took a while for me to realize that I wanted to be a tenor. And it hasn’t been easy. Sometimes my upper range isn’t easily accessed. So, I really have to work on my top register. Though I’ve improved, I’ve been through a great deal of the self-doubt that I hear all tenors go through. Sometimes I worry that I’ll never be able to sing a high-C but I’m working a lot on my passaggio blending my head voice into my chest voice. Today, I realize that my limitations are due to my youth. I also realize that I have my own path and that I can’t compare myself to other singers. Mine’s been a process of accepting where I am right now, and what I have to offer right now is much more important than worrying about all the things that I can’t do. 

CF: Wow. That’s profound. All young artists need to understand what you just said. A lifetime of creativity requires a lifetime of learning. What roles have you learned and sung so far?

LFR: A lot. I’ve had principal roles in the musicals Oklahoma! and Seussical, The Musical – and the operas Little Women, Die Fledermaus, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Impresario and Serse. 

CF: Your Italian accent is beautiful – you’ve got bright vowels. Were you exposed to Spanish at home? 

LFR: Yes, it was my first language and then I learned English in school.  I feel like I have a really good ear for accents because I grew up speaking two languages.

CF: Being bilingual is a blessing in this world. You’re just starting your career. What are your professional goals?

LFR: Following completing my Master’s and my recital at CSUN, I’ll start auditioning for local companies to get repertoire on my resume. I just want to audition as much as I can as soon as I can. 

CF: What are your dream roles?

LFR: Nemorino from The Elixir of Love because he’s a romantic who sings “Una furtiva lagrima” – and I’m a true romantic.

CF: What singers, romantic or not, inspired you?

LFR: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau for his unique interpretation, phrasing and articulation. With each song he wraps you up in the music. I also admire Joan Sutherland, la estupenda, for her sheer power. And Pavarotti for singing each note as freshly as if it’s his first note. He uses the perfect amount of rubato in his Pagliacci. He’s so perfect, he actually gets you rooting for the bad guy. Genius.

CF: What do you think about superstar Juan Diego Flores?

LRF: Oh, he’s incredible – and brings so much liveliness to the compositions, especially Mozart’s. Flores has so much lyrical agility and precision. And he’s a fantastic actor, too. 

CF: Acting’s becoming increasingly important in opera.

LFR: Yes. The days of the park and bark singer are long gone. I find it distracting when someone can’t act. I don’t enjoy their voice as much because if there’s no intention behind their delivery and stage action, it takes me out of the moment. Actors have to have an objective, something that’s pushing them to enter the stage with purpose, not just step onto the stage with no history. Today’s singers have to be able to portray the drama or comedy because if you’re not convinced of your motives – the audience won’t be either. 

CF: Sounds like you’re into acting. 

LFR: Definitely. That’s what I find so satisfying about opera, it incorporates all the performing arts. And that’s what I like about working with the Verdi Chorus, they truly commit to the drama. Our upcoming program features thrilling sequences from Verdi’s Otello and Il trovatore, Puccini’s Turandot and Tosca, and Lehár’s The Merry Widow. 

CF: Sounds like it’s going to be a highly theatrical and satisfying event. Even at this early stage in your career, what advice do you have for your fellow young artists? 

LFR: I’d give them the advice I give to myself every day: Don’t compare yourself to others. It will only frustrate you. Accept and appreciate what you uniquely offer. If I’d realized this years ago, it would have saved me lots of heartache. Once I embraced where I was at, I felt freer and started to enjoy my journey to becoming the singer I want to be. The singer I was meant to be.  

To see and hear the talented Luis Fernando Ruiz doing what he was meant to do alongside world renown guest soloists Alex Boyer, Shana Blake Hill and Malcolm MacKenzie on (Saturday) November 16th @ 7:30pm & (Sunday) November 17th @ 2pm at The First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, 1008 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403 – and for all show info — log onto:  www.verdichorus.org 

PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Bereth

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