Arturo Chacón-Cruz, a native of Sonora, Mexico, has established himself in recent years as a leading tenor with exciting appearances in renowned theaters and concert halls across the globe. He has sung over 50 roles in more than 25 countries.
Since winning Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Competition in 2005, Arturo’s career has seen a successful and steady development. His repertoire spans from Bellini and Donizetti to Puccini and Verdi. Some of his more sought after roles are: Rodolfo, the Duke of Mantua, Alfredo, Jacopo Foscari, Gabriele Adorno, B.F. Pinkerton, Hoffmann, Werther, and Romeo to name a few.
He has sung private recitals for His Majesties Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos of Spain, as well as another one for all the leaders of Iberoamerica, and His Majesty King Felipe of Spain.
Recent highlights include two critically acclaimed role debuts: One as Cavaradossi in Tosca, in Spain, as well as his first Nemorino in Donizetti’s “Elixir of Love” in Italy.
Other recent performances include: The Duke in “Rigoletto” (Verona, Naples, Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles and Florence), “La Boheme” (San Francisco and Hamburg), “La Traviata” (Munich, Valencia, Moscow, Rome and Oman), Ruggero in Puccini’s “La Rondine” in Genova, Faust in Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust” in Mexico City’s Bellas Artes and at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Werther in Barcelona and Budapest, Des Grieux in Massenet’s “Manon” in Monte Carlo, Don Jose in “Carmen” (Tel Aviv, Lyon, Palermo and Zurich), as well as a critically acclaimed role debut as Macduff (Verdi’s “Macbeth”) in Los Angeles and later in Vienna.
Recent collaborations with star directors Sofia Coppola (La Traviata, with Valentino costumes) and Woody Allen (Gianni Schicchi, available in DVD and BluRay by Sony) resulted in international acclaim and all sold out performances in Los Angeles, Valencia and Rome.
Upcoming performances include his role debuts as Rafael in Penella’s “The Wild Cat” in Los Angeles and as Rodolfo in “Luisa Miller” in Barcelona. He will return to Houston Grand Opera as the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto, as well as many concerts with his mentor, Plácido Domingo around the world.
In addition to an extensive existing operatic discography, the artist’s first solo CD is available. “Arturo Chacón le canta a México”, features some of the most beautiful Mexican music ever written, and is accompanied by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Sonora. Arturo’s first ever Mariachi recording “de México para el Mundo” was recently released, distributed by Sony and available as well on all digital platforms.
Chacón-Cruz has received many honors and awards throughout the years. The most recent one being the “Moncayo Medal” in Jalisco, Mexico, he was also “GQ Man of the Year 2018” for Classical Music in Mexico. He was the “Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Emerging Star” of 2017 for the San Francisco Opera. He received the Alfonso Ortíz Tirado medal in 2013 (Sonora’s highest cultural award), the Distinguished Sonoran Medal 2009, the Culturarte de Puerto Rico, the Opera de Valencia and the Plácido Domingo Zarzuela Awards in Operalia 2005 in Madrid’s Teatro Real. He received the Elleanor McCollum 1st Prize Award, and Audience Choice Award with the Houston Grand Opera in 2003, among many others.
He made his La Scala di Milano debut as Hoffmann in Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”, and received a very warm reception from the audience and press: “He excellently portrayed the lovelorn poet, with a youthfulness that only made him more attractive, exhibiting great mastery over his instrument and an indeed pleasant high register, all in all, a brilliant participation”. (GB Opera)
Arturo shares a long and important relationship with two of the reigning opera singers of our day, Plácido Domingo and Ramón Vargas. Since discovering Arturo in 2000, Plácido Domingo has remained Arturo’s friend and mentor, and the two have shared the operatic stage and concert platform many times.
Arturo was awarded the Plácido Domingo Scholarship in 2002, and Mr. Domingo himself helped launch Arturo’s international career after Arturo’s success in the Operalia Competition. Arturo also enjoys a nurturing friendship with Ramón Vargas who became a mentor, teacher and friend over a decade ago.
Arturo currently lives in Miami with his wife and his son.