Biography

At the end of the twentieth century, Marcelo Álvarez was on his way to becoming an international opera star. Known in his hometown for his voice, he apparently did not consider singing as a career until he was urged to do so by his wife. He attended university in Córdoba, then took a job at a furniture factory there. He continued to study voice part time. In 1995, wife convinced him to give up the job and pursue music as a career. Consequently, the family moved to Buenos Aires, where Álvarez continued his studies; he later moved to Italy. He got a beginner's job in an opera company there, which included acting as understudy. In a lucky break, leading tenor became indisposed and Álvarez was called upon to step onstage in the starring role of Alfredo in La Traviata. His appearance was a personal triumph, virtually making his career overnight. His vocal range is that of a lyric tenor, with a sweet and ringing, quite individual, tone. His has striking dark good looks, a combination that suits him well for romantic roles. He has appeared as Hoffmann, in The Tales of Hoffmann, at the Royal Opera Covent Garden of London, the Duke, in Rigoletto, in Tokyo and the Staatsoper Vienna, the Italian Tenor, in Rosenkavalier, at the Met, Faust in Munich, Massenet's Werther and Des Grieux in Manon, at the Paris Opéra, and Nemorino, in L'elisir d'Amore, in Toulouse. He has also sung at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Comunale in Florence, the Bavarian State Opera, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Hamburg State Opera, the Opera of Bilbao, Spain, the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, making a triumphal return to the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Álvarez has signed a contract with Sony Classics and released a disc on that label concentrating on the bel canto era, with arias from Traviata, Rigoletto, Lucia di Lammermoor, L'Elisir, and other operas. In addition, he appears on a Sony disc of music of Carlos Gardel, one of the legendary composers of the classic Argentine tango songs, and his voice is heard on a film intended to be a companion documentary of the recording project to be broadcast on public television networks around the world.