San Vicente del Raspeig will host the project “International Zarzuela Study” starting on July 29, gathering nine artists from different countries in the municipality to complete their professional training and showcase their newly acquired skills to the public.
The activity is driven by the Tourism and Culture departments and debuts in the Valencian Community through the collaboration of artistic director and genre expert Federico Figueroa and the company DTeatro Decoraciones Artísticas, in collaboration with Materlírica España.
The Culture councillor, Óscar Lillo, presented the initiative, which will culminate in a final performance of the opera “The Barber of Seville” in an open-air show on August 2 at Juan XXIII Park.
The Culture councillor Óscar Lillo explained that from July 29 for five days the artists will live together to share experiences and knowledge, receive specialized mentoring, and hear talks by internationally renowned experts.
The Culture head described the experience as “an Operación Triunfo, but led by top professionals in this genre.”
The aim established by the City Council with this program is to relaunch zarzuela in San Vicente and to position the town as a regional and national hub for cultural tourism, Lillo said.
María José Molina, director of Materlírica España, detailed that San Vicente was chosen to host a new international edition of the Zarzuela Study thanks to the City Council’s support, the town’s favorable conditions, and collaboration with the San Vicente Academic Orchestra (OSASV) under Pablo Gutiérrez, who will participate in the rehearsals, and the Mari Carmen Sereno Ballet.
Molina acknowledged a strong influence from the genre’s local audience and the proximity of the University of Alicante, noting that future plans include collaboration with universities from here and abroad.
The five days of convivencia for the Zarzuela Study will begin on the 29th with vocal coach Pilar Tejero handling voice training, Federico Figueroa guiding stagecraft, and María José Molina overseeing the production of the final work to be staged.
The participants are seasoned professionals who have completed academic degrees in singing, acting, or dance. They will be provided with tools to put their skills into practice and will live together to ensure a full immersive experience of study, rehearsals, and shared leisure time.
The study’s director also affirmed San Vicente’s suitability for this cultural proposal. Figueroa explained that participants were selected from applicants across several countries and that preliminary work had already begun with telematic sessions to develop the characters for “The Barber of Seville.”
Next Monday the participants will meet for the first time to begin staging preparations alongside a pianist and the local orchestra.
Figueroa stated that there are contacts with universities in the United States and Mexico that will closely follow the events from here, along with teleconference talks across the Atlantic for the next year to welcome more participants from other countries. The artistic director also expressed a wish for the study to be successful and to continue in the future.
The Culture Councillor thanked the numerous months of work and casting that allow singers and professional and semi-professional performers to gain their first experience in San Vicente.