About
Undoubtedly, Carlos Aragón can be considered as one of the most versatile musicians in the Spanish music scene today, not only given his double facet as a pianist and conductor, but for the breadth of his repertoire that covers from the first Baroque masterpieces (Haendel, Vivaldi, Hasse, Porpora, Pergolesi ..) to the masterpieces of romanticism or verism (Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini ..). In all of them there is a common denominator: it is mostly present as the main instrument, THE VOICE.
Great connoisseur of the different interpretative styles since its inception, this allows him to address the vocal repertoire from the piano recital, being highly valued by professionals of recognized prestige in this facet, to the direction of operas and oratories in which the vocality requires a Greater attention and care. Without a doubt, their addresses, which have their starting point under the eyes of the repertoire, are always at the service of the singer, providing security that enhances the brilliance of the performance and theatricality and the dramatic rhythm of a lyric score ... let's not forget that being music is still theater and in this sense the great composers conceived these great works. Carlos Aragón has been highly valued by specialized critics, who especially underlines these aspects.
His work as a musical director is closely linked to the Villamarta de Jerez Theater - Centro Lírico del Sur (recently awarded at the Campoamor Awards in Lyric 2016). In this theater he directs many of the great opera titles; La Cenerentola de Rossini, Lucia de Lammermoor de Donizetti, Traviata, Rigoletto and more recently Otello de Verdi or Tosca and Suor Angelica de Puccini, all with great critical success.
He also performs his work in other theaters nationwide: directs the absolute premiere in Spain of the opera Tolomeo de Handel at the Arriaga Theater in Bilbao, within the Bilbao Baroque Station programming and in this same city for the ABAO The Arab Princess de Arriaga, a project initially conceived by the Baremboim-Said Foundation. This same production is later directed by the Baluarte Theater in Pamplona and the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid.
In the Great Theater of Cordoba directs L’Italiana in Algeri de Rossini. At the Calderón Theater in Valladolid, La Clemenza di Tito de Mozart and Carmen directs the Tragedie dramatic version of Peter Brooks about Bizet's homonymous opera. This same production will later open the Villa Veranos 2014 Festival and the 2015-2016 season at the Villamarta Theater.
In the Spanish lyrical repertoire he directs the Court of Pharaoh of Lleò at the Arriaga Theater in Bilbao and at the Festival Veranos de la Villa de Madrid, The Trust of the Tenorios de Serrano and El Puñao de Rosas de Chapì, in a double program at the Theater from the Zarzuela of Madrid, Dona Francisquita de Vives in the Main Theater of Palma de Mallorca, El Amor Brujo de Falla, along with the cantaora Carmen Linares in the “Masters of Flamenco” cycle at the National Auditorium of Madrid.
Given his constant activity, he has the opportunity to conduct numerous national and international orchestras: Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, Córdoba City Orchestra, “Manuel de Falla” Orchestra of Cádiz, European Classical Orchestra, Community of Madrid Orchestra, Balearic Symphony Orchestra, Vizcaya Symphony Orchestra, Navarra Symphony Orchestra, Santa Cecilia Orchestra, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Bolshoi Theater Chamber Orchestra, Prague Collegium Marianum Baroque Orchestra, Picardie Region Orchestra ... in different operatic productions, recitals and concerts.
It should be noted that the foundation by Carlos Aragón of the South Lyric Orchestra, an orchestra focused solely and exclusively on the interpretation of the operatic repertoire in a specialized way, is a quite unique project since it is customary for current orchestras to have their double work combined in numerous theaters of interpreting the symphonic and “pit” repertoire.
He has also directed singers of proven and recognized professionalism and high interpretative level, among which are: Maria Ercolano, Sonia Prina, Maria Grazia Schiavo, Manuela Custer, Sabina Puértolas, Angeles Blancas, Yolanda Auyanet, Maria Rodriguez, Carmen Romeu, Ismael Jordi, Jose Antonio Lopez, Luis Cansino, Jose Luis Sola, Simon Orfila, etc.
His closest and most fruitful collaboration is undoubtedly with the mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux. This collaboration is both at the level of "coaching" as well as as a pianist in recitals and as a director, developing a joint work in numerous concerts: Philharmonic Society of Malaga, Chapel du Chateau Royale de Versailles, Santiago's Main Theater, Donostiarra Musical Fortnight , Copenhagen Summer Festival, Tchaikowski Hall and Bolshoin Theater in Moscow, Weimar Festival, Monteverdi Festival in Venice ... and more recently for the CNDM (National Center for Musical Broadcasting) at the National Auditorium of Madrid in its cycle "Baroque Universe ”And at the Teatro de la Zarzuela within its Lied Cycle, with a concert tribute to Teresa Berganza. Together with Vivica Genaux, he makes recordings for the BBC or Radio France.
As an active teacher closely linked to the preparation of singers, it is important to point out your pedagogical work with young values. In this sense, he collaborates with the US EPCASO Foundation in his annual summer course in Italy with teachers such as Claudia Pinza and Maurizio Arena. He has also been invited by the Royaumont Foundation in Paris to direct his lyrical project within the opera-studio program, with Il Viaggio a Reims de Rossini, and on two occasions he has been part of the jury of the international singing contest “Francesco Provenzale” of the Center of Antica Music of Naples next to the director Antonio Florio and the singer Bernadette Manca de Nisa among others.