CRISTINA DEL BARRIO

Born in Segovia, mezzo-soprano Cristina del Barrio is one of the most promising voices on the Spanish opera scene. She graduated with honours from Musikene under Ana María Sánchez and has furthered her studies with Renata Scotto, Carlos Aragón, Maciej Pikulski and Dale Fundling. She also trained in traditional dance and flamenco.

Winner of the 2nd International Opera Competition Teatro Besostri di Mede (Italy, 2016), she has pursued an active operatic career in Spain and abroad. Her roles include Fenena (Nabucco), Meg (Falstaff), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), Santuzza and Lola (Cavalleria rusticana), Mercedes (Carmen), Maddalena (Rigoletto) and María (María de Buenos Aires) at the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria. In the 2023/24 season she made her debut at Teatro Campoamor, Oviedo as Frugola (Il tabarro) and Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and also sang Amneris (Aida) at the Amman Opera Festival and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) in Jerez and Vigo.

In zarzuela she has appeared as La Beltrana (Doña Francisquita), Paloma (El barberillo de Lavapiés), Señá Rita (La verbena de la Paloma) and Mari Pepa (La revoltosa) at venues including Teatro Villamarta, Teatro Manuel Segura in Lima and Pérez Galdós Theatre in Las Palmas.

Her symphonic repertoire includes collaborations with leading Spanish orchestras under Daniel Oren, Lorenzo Passerini and Óliver Díaz. She has sung El amor brujo at the Auditorio Nacional and Liceu, Mahler’s Second Symphony and Dvořák’s Stabat Mater in Bilbao and San Sebastián. In chamber music she has toured Mexico with Ensemble “María de Pablos”.

EN ABAO BILBAO OPERA