Watch: Clara Luz Iranzo and More to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With Latin American Art Songs

Join in on the evening of Friday, September 25, to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with performances of art songs from across Latin America. This free admission event will take place at Scorca Hall, located within the National Opera Center. The recital will begin at 7:30 PM and conclude at approximately 8:45 PM. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Soprano Clara Luz Iranzo, remarkable tenor Mario Arevalo, and accomplished pianist Max Lifchitz will collaborate for a unique recital featuring captivating art songs from Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.

Composers whose songs will be performed include, among others, Maria Grever, Carlos Guastavino, Chabuca Granda, Ernesto Lecuona, Jaime Leon, Manuel Maria Ponce, and Consuelo Velazquez.

Puerto Rican soprano Clara Luz Iranzo has captivated audiences in opera and concert across Europe, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States. In July 2025, she won the Performance Engagement Prize at the Sicily Music Festival Competition, following her final performance at Teatro Comunale Tina di Lorenzo. Earlier this year, she debuted as Pamina in The Magic Flute with Cali Opera and as Micaela in Carmen with Regina Opera. She recently participated as a young artist in the prestigious Castleton Festival and the Bridges Vocal Arts 2026. A graduate of both Mannes and Montclair State University, Iranzo co-founded Opera Atlantic in 2024, a non-profit dedicated to creating paid opportunities for young singers while bridging opera with communities. She now serves as the organization's Artistic Director.

A native of El Salvador, tenor Mario Arévalo is an active opera singer and educator. The Goodwill Ambassador for Fine Arts and Culture for the United Nations Association of El Salvador. Arévalo founded the arts initiative Una Voz, Un Mundo, which advocates cultural diversity and provides musical instruments to low-income youth. After moving to the United States as a teenager, he attended SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music before earning a master's degree on a full scholarship from Boston University. He has performed on major international stages-including in Italy, Canada, and Austria-as well as prestigious U.S. venues like Lincoln Center and the New York City Opera House, and has even shared the stage with Andrea Bocelli

Max Lifchitz was born in México City and has lived in New York since 1966. Active as a composer, pianist, and conductor, Lifchitz won first prize at the 1976 International Gaudeamus Competition for Performers of Twentieth Century Music in the Netherlands. The San Francisco Chronicle described him as "a stunning, ultra-sensitive pianist," while The New York Times praised Mr. Lifchitz for his "clean, measured and sensitive performances.' The American Record Guide remarked, 'Mr. Lifchitz is as good on the podium as he is behind the piano.'