Eduardo Chama

Voice Juror

Argentina~Israel
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Bass-baritone Eduardo Chama has received resounding recognition for his work on both the operatic and concert stages of the world. As Don Pasquale, the Seattle Times declares “Eduardo Chama was born to sing the title role. The Argentine bass-baritone … does heroic work on every level.” The Calgary Herald agrees, stating after performances of Le nozze di Figaro, “Argentine bass-baritone Eduardo Chama sang the title role of Figaro in an easy, stylish way, his voice strong and deep enough for the bass notes.”

In the summer of 2018, Mr. Chama returns to Portland Opera as Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola. He recently performed Sancho Panza in Don Quichotte in a return to San Diego Opera, and Mustafà in L’italiana in Algeri in a return to Calgary Opera. Recent highlights include the title role in Falstaff with Portland Opera, his Atlanta Opera debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni; Sancho Panza in a concert performance of Massenet’s Don Quichotte with Teatro Real in Madrid; Sancho Panza with both Teatro Massimo in Palermo and Seattle Opera; Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Grand Theatre de Geneve; Sancho Panza with Tulsa Opera and San Diego Opera; Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, with Washington Concert Opera, under the baton of Anthony Walker, also with Glimmerglass Opera; Leporello with Teatro Colón, also Nashville Opera; the title role in Falstaff and Leporello in returns to Seattle Opera; Méphistophélès in Faust with Calgary Opera; his debut with Florentine Opera as Leporello; Mustafà with Palm Beach Opera; and, in a return engagement with New Israeli Opera, the title role in Gianni Schicchi.

Throughout his career, Eduardo Chama has performed the role of Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with opera companies around the globe, such as Calgary Opera, Orlando Opera, Kentucky Opera, Tulsa Opera, Cleveland Opera, Utah Opera, in his debuts with Opera Omaha and Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf, and in several return engagements to that company. Leporello has become a signature for Mr. Chama and, in addition to European appearances, he has performed it with Cleveland Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Omaha, Connecticut Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, as well as for the Kansas City Symphony. In the role of Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, he made his debut with Teatro del Maggio Musicale, under the baton of Zubin Mehta. Other internationally acclaimed appearances include his first performances of Amonasro in Aida with Opera de Puerto Rico, Sancho Panza with the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and the Four Villains in Les contes d'Hoffmann with Calgary Opera. In addition, Mr. Chama has performed with De Nederlandse Opera, De Vlaamse Opera, Opéra de Montréal, and Edmonton Opera.

Mr. Chama made his debut with New York City Opera as Leporello and as Crespel in Les contes d'Hoffmann. He has since performed on that stage as Baron Trombonok in Il viaggio a Reims, Leander in The Love for Three Oranges, the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Haly in L'italiana in Algeri, and twice as Ormonte in Partenope. Mr. Chama made his Glimmerglass Opera debut as Ormonte in Partenope, and returned to play Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, which he also has performed with San Diego Opera. He made his Florida Grand Opera debut as Zuniga in Carmen, his Baltimore Opera debut as Alidoro in La Cenerentola, and his debut with Opera Delaware as the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann. He also made debuts with Tulsa and Cleveland operas as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor. Mr. Chama’s L’Opéra Français de New York debut was as Count Oscar in Offenbach’s Barbe-bleue, and his Portland Opera debut was in the American premiere of Reynaldo Hahn's Le marchand de Venise, singing the roles of Antonio and the Prince du Maroc.

Other North American highlights include Méphistophélès in Faust with Toledo Opera, the title role in Don Pasquale with Seattle Opera, his first performances of the title role in Gianni Schicchi with Connecticut Opera, Colline in La bohème with Opera Omaha, Boniface in Le Jongleur de Notre Dame with Central City Opera, the title role in Don Pasquale with Kentucky Opera, and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Portland Opera. He has also performed with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Minnesota Opera.

In concert venues, Eduardo Chama has sung with Michael Tilson Thomas and Miami’s New World Symphony in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges. He was also heard in the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Jubilee Games with the composer conducting the Israel Philharmonic and recorded by Deutsche Grammophon. He made his debut with the Springfield Symphony as soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, his Houston Symphony debut as soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Harry Bicket conducting, and his New York Choral Society debut at Alice Tully Hall as soloist in Rossini's Petite Messe solennelle. He has performed with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and with the Rishon Letzion Symphony.

Mr. Chama received the Richard F. Gold Debut Artist Award at New York City Opera in 1997 and is a 1996 Sullivan Grant winner. He began his musical studies in Argentina.