Opportunities in the UK to see or hear international opera singer and conductor, José Cura , are rare. But, on May 6th 2007, Maestro Cura will come to Devon to give a public Masterclass with twelve talented singers he has chosen – and who will represent some of the best of today's young opera singers.
A compelling actor and charismatic stage performer, Cura has been featured in numerous telecasts of opera productions and concerts from venues around the world. Blessed with a rich burnished tenor voice, mesmerizing stage presence and abundant charm, José Cura has been thrilling audiences since he first burst onto the international music scene. His intelligent, insightful – sometimes controversial, but always intense and unforgettable performances - have made him a household name to opera lovers the world over.
But this success did not come easily. As Cura himself puts it:
“I moved from Argentina to Europe in 1991. I worked for two or three years in restaurants – my wife worked with me, washing dishes – and we did many things a lot of people wouldn't think about doing. We had a very hard life. We lived in a garage for one year because we couldn't pay the rent and we heated the garage with a small fire, with me gathering wood in the middle of the night!”
It is this memory that drives his desire to help promising singers to gain the skills and experience needed to succeed in the notoriously tough and challenging world of international opera. Working together with New Devon Opera – the south west's resident professional opera company, of which he is Patron – the aim is to build this project to become a regular national event in Devon .
Second came May 6th, Master class in Devon, Jose-Cura-wise. I told every-one about the great fare I got on the National Express bus to Devon and back (It cost me 2 GBP all-together). But after my long travel with bus London-Devon-London, I can say I would have been better off with the train, shorter ride and I am sure more comfortable. So cheap is not everything...
As usual it took me a long time to find the hotel, a max 10 minutes walk too me 50
minutes. And that was hot when walking with a suit-case (luckily with wheels) and a
packsack. As I have a tendency of getting head-aches I got one or two in Devon. Then the event of the evening, Master Class with Jose Cura. 15 gifted singers and Jose Cura. Not the usual master class, this was just a highlight class filled with photo-slides from the real master classes. We got a lot of Jose Cura talking about how the singers had developed. And some singing and tutoring from Jose. When they was on the right track he stopped them, to tell us we will get the rest as the concert tomorrow.
Igor Bogaert, Paul Featherstone,.Rebecca Ivey, Christian Schleicher, Anja Rossau, Carthaig Quill, Laura Hudson, Benjamin Bevan, Amar Muchala, Sarah Estil, Tyrone Piper, Suzanne Manuell, Lorna Collins, Diana Vivian, Debra Morley
Susanna Stranders, piano
This page was last updated: June 20, 2022
