Opera Hispánica to Present Verónica Villarroel in Y VOLVERE at El Museo del Barrio

Opera Hispánica will present the great Chilean soprano Verónica Villarroel in a romantic recital titled Y Volveré at El Teatro of El Museo del Barrio on April 7th at 7:30 PM, 1230 Fifth Avenue along Museum Mile. The performance will feature popular boleros, tangos and songs from Spain and Latin America along with selections from the Canciones Españolas Antiguas by Federico Garcia Lorca.

This special recital will feature songs including Violeta Parra's Gracias a la Vida, Armando Manzanero's Cuando estoy contigo, Maria Grever's Muñequita linda, and Garcia Lorca's Las morillas de Jaén. The widely respected music director/pianist Pablo Zinger will lead an instrumental ensemble, with guest appearances by star Flamenco dancer Sonia Olla (who choreographed Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour Flamenco numbers), and cantaor Ismael Fernández.

Y Volveré is part of Opera Hispánica's star-studded 2021/2022 season featuring new opera productions, an America premiere, several recitals, traditional and new repertoire, internationally renowned opera stars, fresh young artists, important collaborations and exciting venues.

For additional information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.operahispanica.org or write to info@operahispanica.org. This event is made possible with the generous support of Annabelle P. Mariaca.

About Verónica Villarroel

Verónica Villarroel, arguably the most successful South American soprano of recent times, is regarded as one of the finest singing actresses of our day. She brings passionate intensity to the stage and "her big, forward tone has a Callas-style drama." (The Guardian, London) Ms. Villarroel has been the recipient of the Plácido Domingo Award as the most important lyrical artist in Latin America (2002), the Medal of Women (2007), the Bicentennial Art Critics Circle Award (2011), and recognition as one of the top 100 women leaders in Chile (2010), among many others.

About Pablo Zinger

Uruguayan-born New Yorker Pablo Zinger is widely acclaimed as a conductor, pianist, composer, arranger, writer, lecturer and narrator, specializing in Astor Piazzolla, tango, Spanish zarzuela, and Latin American music. He accompanied Plácido Domingo at Washington's Constitution Hall, conducted for Paquito D'Rivera's Carnegie Hall 50th Anniversary Concert and the Moscow première of Piazzolla's María de Buenos Aires, and accompanied legendary Spanish diva Sarita Montiel in NYC. He has been called "The King of Zarzuela" by Opera News magazine, and his La verbena de la Paloma (El Paso, '96) was seen nationwide on PBS. For more information please visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Zinger

About Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernández

Hailed by The New York Times as "a furnace of earthy sensuality", bailaora of international prestige, director and choreographer of her own shows, Sonia currently resides in New York, where she combines teaching with her performance and choreography career. Described by The Washington Post as the "most charismatic performer", Ismael Fernández grew up performing in flamenco festivals throughout the world with his internationally renowned family, La Familia Fernández. Sonia and Ismael collaborated with the pop-icon Madonna for her Rebel Heart Tour and worked with Ricky Martin providing Flamenco choreography and vocals for his show All In! For more information please visist http://www.sonia-ismael.com/en/sonia-ismael

About El Teatro of El Museo del Barrio

Originally called The Heckscher Children's Theater, El Teatro was built in 1921 by the architectural firm of Maynick and Franke as part of an orphanage. A proscenium arch stage with seating for 599, it has been acknowledged as a Landmark Quality Interior venue for its remarkable series of 30-foot murals and stained-glass roundels. Today, the murals and Art Deco interior give El Teatro special status as a Landmark Quality Venue by the Municipal Arts Society and the City of New York Arts Commission. The theatre was the site for a special tribute to Tito Puente as part of the 39th Annual GRAMMY awards. It is now part of New York City's Historic Music Trail.

About Opera Hispánica

Opera Hispánica is the premier opera company in the United States exclusively to celebrate and to promote opera and vocal works centered around the Latin American and Spanish experience. Opera Hispánica's mission is to empower Latin artists and develop our communities through groundbreaking cultural productions and musical content. Its goal is to facilitate the development, creation and performance of socially relevant content from the operatic and lyric repertoire to allow opera companies and performing arts organizations to present diverse programming and to reach traditionally underrepresented audiences.

Highlights of Opera Hispánica's 21/22 season include Cuando el Fuego Abrasa, a double bill featuring Oblivion -a series of tangos by Piazzolla- and El Amor Brujo by Manuel De Falla, with Spanish opera superstar Nancy Fabiola Herrera, in collaboration with Teatro Grattacielo and the support of the Consulate of Spain in New York; Buenos Aires, Then and Now, a tribute to the diverse musical culture of Buenos Aires, in collaboration with New York Festival of Songs; a recital of South-American boleros and canciones by the great Chilean soprano Verónica Villarroel at El Museo del Barrio; and the American premiere of Ñomongeta, the first Guarani opera, in collaboration with the Americas Society and the Smithsonian National Museum of American Indian (this last event has been postponed to the Fall due to COVID concerns.)

For more information about Opera Hispánica's mission and upcoming season please visit www.operahispanica.org or write to info@operahispanica.org