ELAINE ALVAREZ
SOPRANO
BIOGRAPHY
Cuban-American soprano Elaine Alvarez burst onto the international opera scene in 2007, making a break-out company debut with her soulful portrayal of Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and directed by Renata Scotto, critics were unanimous with praise: “Conveying lyric pathos seems to come as naturally to Alvarez as breathing” (Chicago Tribune). Characterized by a distinct “buffed bronze soprano” (Opera News), Alvarez has blossomed into a true spinto d’agilità, delivering performances rich with “melting, voluminous sound” (Frankfurter Allgemeine), “spectacular agility” (Opera World Magazine), and “a profoundly genuine sentimentality” (Miami Herald).
Most recently Ms. Alvarez returned to the Metropolitan Opera to cover the title characters in Florencia en el Amazonas and Madama Butterfly and joined the Charleston Symphony for Verdi’s Requiem. In the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Alvarez appeared in the title role of Suor Angelica with Opera Omaha and joined The Atlanta Opera for Madama Butterfly. Concert engagements included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for Idaho Falls Symphony, Bruckner’s Te Deum for South Florida Symphony, a debut with Orchestra Iowa for her first performances of the Verdi Requiem, and a featured recital at the historic Dock Street Theater in Charleston, South Carolina for Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera (HALO). Ms. Alvarez also collaborated once again with the Sphinx Organization for a special performance of Undine Smith Moore's Scenes from the Life of a Martyr, an oratorio on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., featuring the Exigence Vocal Ensemble and the Eugene Concert Choir & Orchestra at the Hult Center for Performing Arts in Eugene, Oregon. Upcoming Ms. Alvarez will return to the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of Tosca and La bohème.
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CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"... Her voice gleamed with power…” – Washington National Review
Don Carlo – "Cuban-American soprano Elaine Alvarez also made her company debut as Elisabetta... Her voice gleamed with power, but she could also moderate that volume with subtlety, matching beautifully with Chacón-Cruz’s lighter sound in their Act I scene. That more plangent side of her tone gave poignancy to delicate arias, like “Non pianger mia compagna” in Act I. The tragic duet with Carlo at the opera’s conclusion ached with anguish."
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"... She provided the most breathtaking moments of the evening..." – Dallas Morning News
La Traviata– "Soprano Elaine Alvarez totally embodied Violetta. She expressed Violetta’s hopes with poignant lyricism in reflective passages. In duets with Alfredo, her ardent lover, she unleashed white-hot vocalism, snarling when defying his wishes. Exploring a wide range of tonal colors, she eloquently phrased melodies, incorporating trills and runs seamlessly into her lines. She provided the most breathtaking moments of the evening in arias that sent chills down the spine.”
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"... a marvel of athleticism and tonal beauty..." – San Francisco Chronicle
Otello – “soprano Elaine Alvarez, whose performance as Desdemona was a marvel of athleticism and tonal beauty. Alvarez sings with a throaty magnificence that is full of fire and urgency, and she does it while maintaining full command of pitch and phrasing.”
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"... she draws a passionate Aida..." – Opera Online
Aïda – “… the cast offers an excellent level . . . starting with Elaine Alvarez in the title role. . . one can only admire the way in which the Cuban-American soprano faces all the obstacles of the spinto soprano range that this part calls for (and which she possesses!), also bearing a deep low register and a fleshy middle: without ever forcing her means, she draws a passionate Aida and moves us deeply in her great aria of the third act, as well as in her farewell to life.”
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"... magic, and a moment worth waiting for..." – Opera News
Florencia en el Amazonas – “[San Diego Opera] employed a superb, engaged cast with the radiant Elaine Alvarez in the title role...with death surrounding the ship, Alvarez’s Florencia sings herself into some otherworldly sphere just before the curtain closes. It was magic, and a moment worth waiting for.”
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"... convincingly renders the strong character of Helene..." – ConcertoNet.com
Jerusalem – “Thanks to her tessitura and power, the Cuban American soprano Elaine Alvarez convincingly renders the strong character of Helene, a role likely difficult to cast perfectly, and her virtuosity allows her to confront her cabaletta’s without difficulty.”
REPRESENTATIVES
Vice President | Classical & Creatives
Agent | Classical & Concert
Operations & Finance Manager