With a career that includes performances on the world’s leading stages, JUAN DIEGO FLÓREZ has established himself as one of the greatest opera talents with his expressive singing. His generosity, charisma and passion inspire his many philanthropic endeavors, in addition to his acclaimed operatic appearances and recordings.
Juan Diego Flórez (Lima, 1973) is one of today’s most celebrated and beloved tenors. His fluid, expressive singing and dazzling virtuosity have made him the bel canto tenor of choice for the world’s leading opera houses. His operatic and recital appearances at the most prestigious venues in the world have earned him the enthusiastic acclaim of critics and audiences alike.
Mr. Flórez began singing and playing Peruvian folk and pop music at an early age, later studying at Peru’s National Conservatory of Music, and eventually winning a scholarship to the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In 1996 he made his professional debut at the Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro, stepping in at the last minute to sing the leading role of Corradino in Matilde di Shabran. Despite the short preparation time his debut was a triumph, and marked the beginning of his stellar career.
His singular voice and astonishing agility made him an overnight sensation and led to another debut that year, at the age of 23, in the opening of La Scala’s 1996/97 season, conducted by Riccardo Muti. Since then he has made regular appearances at all major international opera houses and venues, with the world’s leading conductors.
In 2007, Juan Diego Flórez made history at La Scala when he broke a decades-long ban and gave the first encore in the theatre since 1933. The aria was „Ah! mes amis” from Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, known for its nine high Cs. He repeated the feat a few months later at the Met in 2008, where no encores had been heard at the company for several years.
Juan Diego Flórez has recorded numerous solo albums and complete operas on CD and DVD. Since June 2016 he has been an exclusive artist with Sony Classical, releasing a disc of Mozart arias in 2017 and Bésame mucho, an album of Latin American songs, in 2018. He has been recognized by the BBC as one of the finest tenors of all time and has received many honors and awards, including Peru’s highest distinction, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol, and the Austria’s government title of Kammersänger.
In 2011, Juan Diego Flórez founded „Sinfonía por el Perú”, an inclusive social project inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, which establishes orchestras and choirs throughout his native country to help the most vulnerable children and teens. In recognition of his foundation, he was appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2012 and received the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum in January, 2014.