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Cura, José

Date created: 21.05.2016.
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After studying Composition and Orchestra Conducting in his home town, Rosario, José Cura moved to Buenos Aires in 1984 to hone his skills. To gain insights into stage life, he worked in one of the professional choirs at the Teatro Colón from 1984 to 1988, where his voice developed into the distinctive bold and bright tenor with tints of dark baritone that lead him to international fame.

In 1999, José Cura resumed his conducting career, working with top orchestras like the London Philharmonia, the London Symphony, the Vienna Philharmonic, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Toscanini Orchestra, and the Hungarian Philharmonic, among others, in operatic and symphonic works, thrilling audiences with his performance both in the pit and on the platform.

2007 saw the world-premiere of La Commedia è finita: the creative re-imagining of Pagliacci coupled with dance and mime, designed and directed by José Cura, marked the beginning ofhis career as a stage director and designer. In 2010 he set designed, directed and starred inSaint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila at the Badisches Staatstheater, crafting an innovative, moderntake on the classic. The production is available on DVD. The unanimous plaudits of the audienceand critics for his La Rondine at the Opéra de Nancy and Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, both in 2012, sealed his stature as adirector of distinction. In 2013, his production of Otello at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aireswas selected as one of the most successful productions of the year by international voting. Lately, his new production of Boheme for the Royal Swedish Opera, was considered to be one of the best productions ever of that prestigious opera house.

Year 2014 was marked by José Cura’s return to his activity as composer: in November, the South Bohemian Opera (Czech Republic), premiered his Stabat Mater, written in 1989 and in Easter 2015, after his return as Don José at La Scala, the world premiere of his Magnificat, written in 1988, took place at the Teatro Massimo di Catania.

In May 2015, Maestro Cura was appointed “Artist in Residence” of the Prague Symphony Orchestra. As part of his commitments with the prestigious Czech ensemble, he will not only conduct two symphonic concerts per season, but also will premier some of his compositions like the Seven Sonnets, based on Pablo Neruda’s poetry, the Czech premier of his Magnificat and the world premiere of his oratorio Ecce Homo.

On the 6th of June 2015, José Cura was honored by the Argentinean Senate, with the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Prize for his achievements in education and culture.

 

To learn more: http://josecura.com