Vita

Born:                       5 December 1962

Location:                Rosario, Argentina

Current home:       Madrid, Spain

Early Musical Background

Born into a music-friendly family, José Cura plays six different instruments.

Cura first studied guitar with Juan di Lorenzo.

At 15, Cura made his debut as a choral conductor. A year later he began studying composition with Carlos Castro and piano with Zulma Cabrera.

In 1982, Cura began studies at the School of Arts of the National University of Rosario to develop his conducting and composition. In 1983 he became assistant conductor for the University choir.  The choirmaster (also head of the conservatory) heard Mr. Cura vocalizing jazz improv during a rehearsal and convinced him to begin studying voice.  

Cura's first public operatic performance was singing 'E lucevan le stelle' (after five voice lessons!)

At 21, he won a grant to study at the School of Arts of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, where he sang for several years in the theatre chorus while continuing his studies of composition and conducting.

** José Cura has composed several works, including religious works such as a Stabat Mater, a Requiem, a children's opera, a ballet based on the story of Pinocchio, and two wonderful numbers on Anhelo.    

At 22, he appeared in his first opera, Massenet's Manon, in Buenos Aires. He was one of two croupiers in the Act 4 gambling scene and sang. 'Faites vos jeux, messieurs!  Faites vox jeux!"

His first singing teachers weren't sure what to do with Cura's unique, masculine voice. After a few years of struggling, Cura gave up.  He tried a second time (with much more success!) when he was in his mid 20s. He was conducting for a chamber opera group when the lead tenor withdrew.  Cura stepped in and was heard by Gustavo Lopez, a tenor from the Colón.  The rest is musical history--and the stuff of movies.

In 1988 he met Horacio Amauri who taught him the basis of his singing technique.

In 1991, José Cura auditioned for a place at the Teatro Colon but didn't get it.  Convinced he had much to offer, Cura and his family packed their belongings and moved to Europe.  Cura returned to Buenos Aires in triumph for a gala performance in 1994.

In 1992 he met the tenor Vittorio Terranova, who instructed him in the Italian operatic style. 

In February 1992 he made his theatrical debut at Verona, playing the role of the father in Henze's Pollicino.

José Cura's first major role was as Jan in the Trieste production of Bibalo's Miss Julie in March 1993.

Key Dates

1991	Moves to Europe
1993	Sings first starring role: Jan in the opera Signorina Julia by Antonio Bibola in Trieste
1994	Wins Operalia in Mexico City (Sept)
1994	Makes American debut in Chicago as Loris Ipanoff in Fedora (Nov)
1994	Performs Roberto in Le Villi at Martina Franca, recorded live and available on CD (first commercial recording)
1994	Returns to Argentina for gala concert at Teatro Colón (Dec)
1995	Makes English debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in the title role of Stiffelio in the Verdi Festival (June)
1995	Debuts in Paris at the Paris Opéra Bastille in a new production of Nabucco, (Ismaele)
1995	Debuts as Mario Cavaradossi in the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago
1995	Takes part in the Melbourne and Sydney show The Puccini Spectacular, which was specially devised for his Australian debut (televised)
1996	Debuts as Samson in the Royal Opera House production of Camille Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila
1996	Debuts at the Wiener Staatsoper in Tosca
1996	Sings first Turiddu in the Ravenna Festival production of Cavalleria rusticana (televised)
1996	Stars in a BBC documentary Great Composers in honor of Giacomo Puccini, accompanied  by Leontina Vaduva and Julia Migenes (Dec)
1997	Debuts at La Scala in Milan as Enzo Grimaldo in Ponchielli's La Gioconda (Jan)
1997	Takes on the title role in Verdi's Otello in Turin, with the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado and with Barbara Frittoli as Desdemona.  La Nazione (Florence) ran the headline, 'José Cura: a new Otello is born!'  Also becomes the youngest tenor to have his debut in role broadcast on television. (May)
1997	Wins Abbiati Award (the Italian critics' prize) for his performances in two Mascagni operas - Iris in Rome and Cavalleria Rusticana in Ravenna - and in Verdi's Il Corsaro in Turin (June)
1997	Releases first recital CD, Puccini Arias
1998	Debuts as Radames in the Franco Zefferelli production of Aida during the inaugural season of the New Imperial Theatre (Tokyo)
1998	Sings Des Grieux in Puccini's Manon Lescaut at La Scala (released on CD and DVD)
1998	Debuts at the Washington Opera (now National Opera) in Samson et Dalila
1998	Opens the newly refurbished Teatro Massimo in Palermo in Aida
1998	Wins Orphée d'Or from Académie du Disque Lyrique (France) for his recording of Samson et Dalila.
1998	Releases Anhelo, second recital CD, full of music from his homeland
1998	Records Samson et Dalila under baton of Sir Colin Davis
1999	Stars as Radames in the first live electronic webcast of an opera--Aida from Verona (June)
1999	Debuts at Met on opening night in Cavalleria Rusticana;  first tenor to do so since Caruso
1999	Receives Citizen of Honour by the city of Rosario title of Professor Honoris Causa from Argentinian University C.A.E.C.E
1999	Records Pagliacci with Barbara Frittoli and Simon Keenlyside, conducted by Riccardo Chailly
1999	Wins ECHO Klassik Award as singer of the year for Samson et Dalila (Germany)
2000	Headlines in a glorious Otello at The Washington Opera (Feb/Mar)
2000	Stars as Alfredo in La Traviata a Paris, filmed on location and broadcast live around the world
2000	Debuts as Manrico in Il Trovatore at the Teatro Real in Madrid. (Nov)
2000	Is knighted 'Chevalier de l’Ordre du Cedre' by Lebanese government
2001	Appointed principal guest conductor on the Sinfonia Varsovia (through 2004)
2001	Debuts as Don Carlo in Zurich (Jan)
2001	Appears in two highly successful Barbican concerts with Daniela Dessi and releases DVD, A Passion for Verdi (Feb)
2001	Conducts first concert with Sinfonia Varsovia as principal guest conductor on 25 November
2001	Wins Best Artist of the Year, Grup de Liceistes (Barcelona)
2002	Tapes London production of Il Trovatore in May 2002 for DVD release by BBC (Winter 2002/3)
2002	Creates own record label, Cuibar Phono Video (CPV)
2002	Records first symphonic CD with Sinfonia Varsovia, Rachmaninov's 2nd (recorded in December 2001) and a recital disk, Aurora, (recorded February / March 2002) for release on Mr. Cura's own Cuibar label.
2002	Wins Sachacka Foundation Award (Poland)
2003	Becomes first tenor in operatic history to conduct an opera (Cavallaria rusticana) on the same evening as he performs in an opera (as Canio in Pagliacci), in Hamburg (Feb)
2003	Debuts as Calaf in Verona;  stars in three different operas (Turandot, Carmen, and La Traviata) at the arena (June-July)
2003	Wins Artist of the Year - Catullus Prize (Italy)
2003	Interprets the role of Jean in Massenet's rarely performed opera, Hérodiade, in Vienna
2004	Conducts first multi-act opera, Verdi's Un ballo in maschera in Piacenza, Italy (Feb)
2004	Debuts as Dick Johnson in Puccini's Fanciulla del West in Zurich
2004	Releases Dvořák Centenary Tribute album in early 2004, the first in a series of albums dedicated to great composers
2004	Runs Olympic torch on island of Oinousses, then sings the Olympic anthems and "Nessun dorma" before performing a very special concert in the Oinousses Amphitheatre (15 July)
2004	Becomes Citizen of Honor, Veszprém, Hungary
2005	Accepts position as Vice President of British Youth Opera, joining a select group of of artists and patrons taking an active role in supporting the young singers of tomorrow
2005	Sings at opening of World Games in Duisburg, Germany
2005	Debuts as symphonic conductor in Italy, leading the Toscanini Orchestra in Rachmaninov's Piano Concert no 2 and Second Symphony
2005	Wins 'Cittá di Piacenza' prize and becomes Citizen of Honor of Piacenza (Italy)
2005	Wins 'Citta di Bavena' Prize from the Festival Umberto Giordano (Italy)
2005	Becomes Patron to the New Devon Opera
2006	Conducts Madama Butterfly at the Wiener Staatsoper
2006	Wins the 'Enric Granados' prize and the 'Insignia d'or dels Amics de L'Ópera de Lerida' (Spain)
2006	Receives 'Giovanni Zanatello' Prize for best artist of 2005 Verona season (Italy)
2007	Otello recorded at the Gran Liceu is released on DVD
2007	Premieres La commedia e finita, an innovative combination of narrative, dance, and opera developed and directed by Maestro Cura, in Rijeka
2007	Returns triumphantly to Argentina for Samson et Dalila, the 50th Anniversary of the Monument to the Flag, and a special concert in Rosario
2007	Is named Socio Fundador Honorario by Portuguese Association Against Leukemia (Portugal)
2007	Accepts position as visiting professor of voice at Royal Academy of Music (London)