Biography for Gaston Rivero, Tenor

Gaston Rivero, Tenor

Uruguayan-American Gaston Rivero, born in Montevideo in 1978, began vocal lessons at the Carlos López Buchardo National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Growing up in a largely musical family, he enjoyed a childhood rich in classical music and influenced strongly by opera.

In 2001, Mr. Rivero moved to New York and began lessons with his current teachers and coaches, Maestro Eugene Kohn and Maestro Israel Gursky.

On December 19^th, 2002, at age 24, Mr. Rivero made his Carnegie Hall debut in recital, performing works by Ariel Ramírez, Carlos Guastavino and Alberto Ginastera. In the 5 years since, he has appeared at the hall more than 20 times. In 2003, Mr. Rivero went on to make his Broadway debut in Baz Luhrman’s La Bohème.

Mr. Rivero’s professional opera debut came in 2004 with Opera Orchestra of New York in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, conducted by Maestro Eve Queler. He was soon hired for the role of Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata with Palm Beach Opera, Lyric Opera of San Antonio, El Paso Opera and Wichita Grand Opera; B. F. Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly at the Staatstheater Nürnberg; Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Carolina and PORTopera; Don José in Carmen with Knoxville Opera and at the Auditorio Zaragoza. It was during this time that he also performed several other roles with Opera Orchestra of New York. Gaston Rivero has received a number of awards including First Place of The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation in 2006, Third Place Winner of the Concurso Internacional de Canto MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ 2007, First Place of The Gerda Lissner Foundation 2008 and winner of The Dixy Drechsler Scholarship from The Opera Foundation, Inc – Deutsche Oper Berlin Award 2008. Grand Finalist in Plácido Domingo’s OPERALIA competition 2006, The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Vocal Competition 2005.

Upcoming engagements include the role Don José in Carmen with l'Opéra de Lausanne (Japan tour); Rodolfo in La Bohème and Don José in Carmen at Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. During the upcoming 2008-2009 season Mr. Rivero will be performing and covering several other roles with Deutsche Oper Berlin.