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Operaclick met the pleasant Mexican tenor Luis Chapa, who treads the boards of many important European and American theatres, specializing in spinto and dramatic roles. In the last years, he added to the classic spinto repertory (Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Tabarro or Turandot) some demanding Verdi roles as Forza del Destino, Aida and even Otello (he is performing it in these days in Germany). Together with Italian operas, his career includes also notable debuts in Tannhäuser and The Pique Dame.
Let us get to know him a little better.

You are born in Mexico but are a British citizen. How come your life has moved from Mexico to Great Britain?
I remained there for the simplest and oldest of reasons... Love... My wife and now my daughter are British... but the reason I went there the first time was to study... First privately and then at the Royal Northern College of Music.

How did you get in touch with opera?
I sing ever since I remember, at church, at school, with my friends along side some Tequila!!; When I was in University, I attended some Guitar lessons at the Local Conservatory... one singing teacher heard to me in the corridors and told me that I was a Tenor... and my life changed forever... I finish my studies of engineering, and even opened a construction company, but mostly I spend my time having lessons with whoever was willing to work with me. I attended as many operas as I could, and joined the Monterrey Opera Choir...It come to a point that I had to decide between my life as an engineer or the possibility of being a singer... and I took the gamble...

Did someone introduce you to the study of singing?
The short answer is no, I have always being quite single minded about what I wanted, and it was me all the way...you have to understand that I come from a part of the world that culture is not a priority, yes, as a hobby, but no something that you do for a living, especially if you are fortunate enough to get a degree...

Where and with whom did you start studying?
I studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and then with Janece Chapman in London, and now I am working with Bill Shuman in New York.

Was it difficult to acquire the necessary technique and self-confidence to take on a career as a pro?
I'm a workaholic and treat my voice accordingly. I don't believe in saving and always give 100% during rehearsal; at the show I just let go, all of my soul is there and never think about Technic. In order to achieve this you need a healthy body and a very solid technique, so yes, has been very hard, but I am very lucky to have find some fantastic people along the way that helped me to build this… but the work belongs to the singer, the everyday warm up, scales, vocalises, is almost religious…

How would you describe your voice?
Lirico Spinto, I am a liric tenor with the capacity of being heard over certain orchestrations...having said that, I believe that everyone should sing lyric, without forcing and within their own capacity. Is very easy and tempting to impress other people by overdarking your own voice in order to sound “dramatic”... but the result is a reduce volume and over a period of time, vocal fatigue.

Which operas do you think suit better to your voice and character?
Cavalleria Rusticana, Turandot and Trovatore... they are written in a way that adapts perfectly to my voice and temperament.

In which roles did the audience appreciate you the most?
I have to say is Turiddu, Cavalleria is such a complex and fantastic Opera, that I feel completely at home with it... always have the greatest response whit that one.

Is there any role that you would like to add to your repertoire
Samson, and  Andrea Chenier come to mind... great parts... I will love to do Peter Grimes one day.

Which do you think are your artistic strong points?
I never think that way. I am forever trying to improve my musicality and my interpretation, playing with the music- not only trying to do solfegio, but letting my senses dictate how it should go; immediately after I work in my top notes like a solder and if I feel out of shape go straight to the Gym... I strive to be an “all round singer” not just one aspect of it...

What is your relationship with stage directions? Would you like to act?
I love Theatre, an Opera without acting is no Opera, Singing and acting are not in conflict, is difficult, but not impossible. For me the real satisfaction comes from achieving a full spectacle, and that the audience go home thinking in the complete representation, not only in determinate Top note...

In these days, you are performing as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in Trieste. Is this your Italian debut?
Yes! A very exciting point in my career, in talking a couple months ago with my Manager Gabriella Mafara, she convinced me that is imperative to have an Italian début... so she start working and a few weeks later here I am, with an amazing cast and in the hands of one of my heros, the Maestro Donato Renzetti !

What does it mean for a Mexican tenor to debut in Italy? Was it exciting?
I have no words to describe the excitement and elation that I had during the rehearsal period... and then the debut... the response of the audience was fantastic and the feedback from the Theatre is one of the best I had ever had!

Would you like to have more artistic experiences in Italy
Being a Tenor in Italy for me will be a dream come true, the top of a very high mountain that I have been claiming for a long time.
Is not only that the opera was invented here, is the fact that culture and history is embedded in every centimetre of the country and it’s people... I find inspiration for everyone of my characters around every corner, and the audience...so warm, knowledgeable and discerning... I feel at home here; so YES PLEASE!

After this Pinkerton you will be Otello soon. It is difficult to alternate a lyric role as Pinkerton with a dramatic one as Otello, isn't it?
Yes is very hard, not only vocally but also psichologically different ...That is exactly why I train so hard, to meet this kind of challenges; there is no point in pretending that a Modern Singer career is not like that, you do what you are employed for, we don’t have the power or the caches of the previous generation... so we do as we are told and take every chance that is given to us. Is not all dark, we (modern singers) enjoy singing, acting, spending time in airports, long time in gyms and even longer in studio rooms learning repertoire for five hrs before performing a different show in the evening, pushing boundaries and enjoying the profession as it is... not as some people think it should be...

How was your first italian experience?
Fantastic, I learned so much, and love working with the colleges and all the people of the theatre... But most of all the audience... I fall in love with the relationship of them with us... so warm!

Did you already know Trieste, did you enjoy the city?
I did know it by reputation as a very beautiful city with a great theatre... but I am fascinated now by the architecture, and the people, the theatre and most of all the piaza da la unita... it is really beautiful and full of grandeur... I spend my days off inspecting buildings façades and taking photos of the ditels of them...a reminiscence of my times as an engineer...

What is your future agenda?
Turandot in Shanghai, Verdi's Messa da Requiem in Germany and offers for Trovatore, Turandot and Cavaleria of which I still can not say where and when.

Where do you live?
I Live in london, with my family.

Any hobby?
Singing

Thank you for your availability, we wish you all the best for your career in singing!
Thanks to all of you and many greatings to all the OperaClick's readers

versione italiana

Danilo Boaretto