Ibáñez Atkinson Young Artist Program (FIA-YAP) is the name of this program designed to develop the skills of young Chilean singers of exceptional talent, in order to help them build a career of international projection.

 

Fundación Ibáñez Atkinson (FIA), an organization that since 2013 has been promoting the learning, practice and dissemination of music, launched the first development program for young lyrical talents in the country, in partnership with the Teatro Municipal de Santiago.

 

It is the Ibáñez Atkinson Young Artist Program (FIA-YAP), aimed at developing the skills of young Chilean singers of exceptional talent, in order to help them build a career of international projection.

 

Directed by Andrés Rodríguez Spoerer, FIA Music Manager and Carmen Gloria Larenas, General Director of the Teatro Municipal, the program -based on the Teatro Municipal– contemplates 8 months of improvement in multidimensional techniques of lyrical singing, carried out by outstanding teachers who today they perform in important opera houses in the world such as Evamaria Wieser, casting director of the Salzburg Festival; David Gowland, musical director of the Jette Parker Young Artist Program; Diane Zola, director of opera and casting of the Metropolitan Opera (MET); Bruno Nicoli; head coach at Teatro alla Scala, Milan; John Norris, head coach at Bayerisches Staatsoper München; Paul Curran, former director general of the Oslo National Opera; Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, principal conductor of the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.

 

Additionally, it offers singers the opportunity to learn in depth the work of an opera theater and, eventually, the possibility of auditioning to interpret secondary roles and cover artists at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago.

 

“Our goal is to promote the careers of young Chilean singers through improvement, contact with prominent international teachers and the experience that means doing it at the Teatro Municipal. Entering the professional market and reaching the great stages of the world is a challenge for national artists due to the geographical distance and the need for networks. That is the gap that with this program we want to help reduce ”, explains Andrés Rodríguez Spoerer, director of FIA-YAP.

 

“We are very happy with the alliance with the Ibáñez Atkinson Foundation and, in particular, of being part of this unprecedented talent development program in the country. Giving visibility to Chilean artists and contributing to their artistic improvement is also a vocation and commitment of the Teatro Municipal, ”added Carmen Gloria Larenas, general director of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago.

 

Under the international academic supervision of David Blackburn, strategic advisor to FIA and founder of NYIOP, and the participation of Brazilian pianist Rafael Andrade as head coach of the program, FIA-YAP began its march a few weeks ago virtually. His students are five talented singers between the ages of 18 and 26, from Santiago and Copiapó, who stood out in different lyrical singing auditions carried out by Fundación Ibáñez Atkinson since 2017.

Meet the five students who are part of FIA YAP 2020:

 

Camila Aguilera Yáñez, Mezzosoprano, 23 years old 

 

Camila was born in Copiapó. After studying at the Music School of that city with the teacher Rodrigo Tapia, in 2016 he entered the Alberto Hurtado University where he graduated in music and is currently studying the last year of Higher Interpretation Singing Mention, in the chair of the teacher Viviana Hernández. She is awarded a scholarship by the Friends of the Municipal Theater Corporation. She was a finalist in the Women in Music III contest of the Chilean Chapter of NWMA and IMUAH, accompanied by vocal coach Eun Seong Hong. She has worked as a backup chorusist in the Professional Choir of the Municipal Theater of Santiago, the Chamber Choir of the Teatro del Lago, Frutillar and is currently part of Ignis Camerata Vocal. For the 2021 season of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago he will participate as a soloist in “La Pasión According to San Mateo” by J.S. Bach; Mercédès in “Carmen” by G. Bizet; Second Lady in “The Magic Flute” by W.A. Mozart and Bersi in ”Andrea Chénier” by U. Giordano. She will also play Violeta Parra in the premiere of the opera “La Rara”, composed by René Silva, in the 2021 season of IMUAH.

 

Claudia Figueroa Cisterna, Soprano, 22 years old 

 

She began her studies of lyrical singing at the University of Chile’s Evening Outreach Program while studying at the Almendral school of the Nocedal Foundation in La Pintana. She has studied musical interpretation with a mention in Lyric Singing at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Chile, where she had the collaboration of the accompanying pianist and vocal coach, Eun Seong Hong and has been a student of the mezzo-soprano Claudia Godoy, and the soprano Patricia Cifuentes. In 2018 he played his first role in Elixir de Amor, under the direction of Eduardo Browne at the Carabineros Theater in Chile. As a soloist and ensemble performer, he has performed at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, the Lake Theater, the Isidora Zegers Hall, the Carabineros Theater of Chile, the Municipal Theater of La Pintana, among others. He has participated in the Almendral Choir; Choir Grow Singing; Symphonic Choir University of Chile and Ignis Camerata Vocal.

 

Franco Oportus Vergara, Baritone, 26 years old 

 

He has a degree in Music from the Alberto Hurtado University, under the chair of the teacher Viviana Hernández. With studies of pedagogy in Music, mention direction and singing from the same house of studies, he has also perfected with the teacher Patricio Méndez and the co-repeater teacher Eun Seong Hong. He has participated in the opera “L’Orfeo” by Monteverdi (Regional Theater of Rancagua), in the semi-opera “King Arthur” by H. Purcell (Alberto Hurtado University) and in “Carmen” by G. Bizet, the latter under the musical direction of Eduardo Browne and stage direction of Myriam Singer (Municipal Theater Las Condes). She has worked as a Support Choir for the Teatro Municipal de Santiago and was a Finalist in the International Singing Contest “Laguna Mágica”. He is currently preparing his title activity (or title concert).

 

Vanessa Rojas Cárcamo, Soprano, 25 years old 

 

She is a graduate of the Bachelor of Music career at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Formed by the soprano Claudia Pereira, the tenor Rodrigo del Pozo, the stage director and soprano, Miryam Singer and the vocal coach Eun Seong Hong, she has played the roles of Cherubino in “Le Nozze di Figaro”; Lauretta in “Gianni Schicchi” ; Cinderella and Malén in “Cinderella Magic and Legend” and Mercédès in “Carmen.” She has participated as a soloist in the seasons Música Sacra and Bach Santiago, and has collaborated with the USACH Classical Orchestra in the oratorios “Die Israeliten in der Würste” and “Weinachts Oratorium.” She has worked with the conductors Víctor Alarcón, Rodolfo Fischer, Eduardo Browne, Nicolas Rauss, among others. She is the winner of the “Solistas Siglo XXI” Contest and second place at the “Laguna Mágica” International Singing Contest. part of the Support Choir of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago.

 

Pablo Santa Cruz, Bass-baritone, 23 years old 

 

With a bachelor’s degree in music, including choral conducting and singing, at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, he has trained with the tenor Rodrigo del Pozo; soprano and stage director Miryam Singer; and vocal coach Eun Seong Hong. He has played the roles of Antonio and Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro; Gianni Schicchi’s Simone; Queues at Bastien und Bastienne; Dr. Grenvil from the opera “La Traviata” and Dulcamara in a reduced version of “L’elisir d’amore”. He is currently preparing the role of Don Alfonso for a production of “Così fan tutte”. He has been a soloist in the UC Sacred Music season at Bach Santiago during 2018 and also participated as a soloist in the Frutillar Musical Weeks at the Teatro del Lago. He has worked with the directors Víctor Alarcón, Eduardo Browne and Paolo Bortolameolli. Since 2019 he has been a member of the Support Choir of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago.