JORGE GARZA
tenor
Mexican-born tenor, Jorge Garza, is one of the most versatile tenors of our time and has become a specialist for the Slavic, German, and English repertoire of the 20th century.
Recent engagements in Europe include, Lišák (Fox) in Janácek’s Cunning Little Vixen at the South-Bohemian Theater in Cesky Krumlov, Tom Rakewell at the National Theater Prague, Ritter/Entertainer in Schlingensief’s Mea Culpa at the Wiener Burgtheater, Odysseus in the world premiere of Jan Klusák’s Filoktetes, the title role in Janacek’s The Excursion of Mr. Broucek to the Moon, Serge/Adolf in Martinu’s Les Trois Souhaits, Michel in Juliette, Tito Vespasian in La Clemenza di Tito, Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, Michel in Bohuslav Martinu’s Juliette, Franz in Philip Glass’ The Trial, Paul in Hans Krása’s Betrothal in a Dream all at the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava.
In 2023-24, he returns to Ostrava in the role of Harlekin in Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Court Clerk Licht in Ullmann’s Der zerbrochene Krug, and Michálek in Smetana’s The Devil’s Wall.
His European debut was with Opéra de Monte Carlo as Sir Hervey in Anna Bolena. He debuted in Germany as Don Polidoro in La Finta Semplice with the Potsdamer Musikfestspiele before he joined the ensemble of the Theater für Niedersachsen in Hildesheim in 2008. During his tenure, he sang Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Don Narciso in Il Turco in Italia, Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress, Sou-Chong in Das Land des Lächelns, the title role in Flotow’s Alessandro Stradella, Fenton in Die lustige Weiber von Windsor, Alfred in Die Fledermaus and Marquis de Chateauneuf in Zar und Zimmermann, a role he also made a guest appearance with at the Theater Krefeld und Mönchengladbach.
Jorge Garze made his professional debut as Eurimaco in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulysses alongside Frederika von Stade and Thomas Allen at Los Angeles Opera, where he also sang the role of the Burrowing Mole in the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s opera The Fantastic Mr. Fox and covered Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore for Ramon Vargas. Further engagements in the US were as Tamino and Ferrando with West Bay Opera, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with New Jersey Opera, Florville in Il Signor Bruschino with Gotham Chamber Opera New York, Dorian Gray in Lowell Liebermann’s The Picture of Dorian Gray with Center City Opera Theater, Carlo in Linda di Chamounix with Caramoor Festival, Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Connecticut Grand Opera, Lysander in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Festival Opera, Tenor 1 in Kurt Weill’s Die sieben Todsünden and Billy in Mahagonny Songspiel, both with Liederkranz Opera in New York. Important role debuts in the US were Lensky in Eugene Onegin with West Bay Opera, Satyavan in Gustav Holst’s Savitri with Festival Opera, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with Sacramento Opera, and Prince in John Adams’ A Flowering Tree, a co-production of Riverside Lyric Opera and UCR Culver Center of the Arts. In 2018, he sang and recorded the title role in Manuel de Falla’s El retablo de maese Pedro with the Perspectives Ensemble in New York.
Concert appearances include his Carnegie Hall debut as Father in Kurt Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (under Leonard Slatkin) and Oregon Symphony, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor and Horn and Mozart’s Requiem with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra and the DCINY Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall, and Cherubini’s Missa Solemnis with the Orchestra National de Lyon.
Jorge Garza is a graduate of the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Academy of Vocal Arts. He further advanced his training at various apprentice programs including Glimmerglass Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Merola Opera Program, and finally the Los Angeles Opera Young Artist Program working with director Stephen Lawless. He received numerous awards and recognitions from competitions and foundations including Operalia Competition Finalist, ARIA Foundation Award, Opera Index Awards, The Sullivan Foundation, San Francisco Opera Merola Grand Finals, Richard F. Gold Shoshana Foundation Award, Grace Bumbry AGMA Competition, and Mario Lanza competition.
