Peruvian tenor. An exceptionally flexible voice, beautiful timbre, and perfect command of coloratura technique have earned him a reputation as one of the finest contemporary performers of the bel canto repertoire.
Born in the Peruvian capital Lima, he studied at the National Conservatory of Peru, then received a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music (Philadelphia, USA). While still a student, he began performing bel canto roles that would later become his signature. His professional debut and international breakthrough came in 1996 at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy, where Flórez stepped in at short notice for an ill tenor in the extremely demanding role of Corradino in Rossini's 'Matilde di Shabran'. That same year, the singer made his debut at La Scala as the Danish Knight in Gluck's 'Armide'. In 1997, he made his Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut in the first performance in 150 years of Donizetti's 'Elisabetta', singing the role of Count Potocki. These were followed by debuts at the Vienna State Opera in 1999 and at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002, both times as Count Almaviva in 'Il barbiere di Siviglia'.
Virtuoso mastery of the most demanding coloratura passages and flawless blending of registers quickly became the singer's trademark, securing his success on all the world's major stages. In 2007 at La Scala, an exception was made for him to the long-standing tradition of not repeating arias as encores: in Donizetti's 'La fille du régiment', Flórez, at the audience's insistence, repeated the aria 'Ah! mes amis' with its nine high Cs, earning a thunderous ovation.
Flórez's repertoire includes numerous roles in operas by Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, including the highly challenging roles of Rodrigo in Rossini's 'Otello', Uberto in 'La donna del lago', and Corradino in 'Matilde di Shabran'. Among his other roles are Nadir ('Les pêcheurs de perles'), Werther ('Werther'), Raoul ('Les Huguenots'), Rinuccio ('Gianni Schicchi'), the Duke of Mantua ('Rigoletto'), and Alfred Germont ('La traviata'). He has an extensive discography, including 13 solo albums.
He is the recipient of numerous music awards, holds the honorary title of Kammersänger from the Austrian government, and is a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru, the highest state honour of Peru.
Born in the Peruvian capital Lima, he studied at the National Conservatory of Peru, then received a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music (Philadelphia, USA). While still a student, he began performing bel canto roles that would later become his signature. His professional debut and international breakthrough came in 1996 at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy, where Flórez stepped in at short notice for an ill tenor in the extremely demanding role of Corradino in Rossini's 'Matilde di Shabran'. That same year, the singer made his debut at La Scala as the Danish Knight in Gluck's 'Armide'. In 1997, he made his Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut in the first performance in 150 years of Donizetti's 'Elisabetta', singing the role of Count Potocki. These were followed by debuts at the Vienna State Opera in 1999 and at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002, both times as Count Almaviva in 'Il barbiere di Siviglia'.
Virtuoso mastery of the most demanding coloratura passages and flawless blending of registers quickly became the singer's trademark, securing his success on all the world's major stages. In 2007 at La Scala, an exception was made for him to the long-standing tradition of not repeating arias as encores: in Donizetti's 'La fille du régiment', Flórez, at the audience's insistence, repeated the aria 'Ah! mes amis' with its nine high Cs, earning a thunderous ovation.
Flórez's repertoire includes numerous roles in operas by Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, including the highly challenging roles of Rodrigo in Rossini's 'Otello', Uberto in 'La donna del lago', and Corradino in 'Matilde di Shabran'. Among his other roles are Nadir ('Les pêcheurs de perles'), Werther ('Werther'), Raoul ('Les Huguenots'), Rinuccio ('Gianni Schicchi'), the Duke of Mantua ('Rigoletto'), and Alfred Germont ('La traviata'). He has an extensive discography, including 13 solo albums.
He is the recipient of numerous music awards, holds the honorary title of Kammersänger from the Austrian government, and is a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru, the highest state honour of Peru.
