José Luis Maldonado

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Hailed by Opera News as a “seemingly unlimited baritone,” International vocalist Josè Luis Maldonado, from Los Angeles, California attended Cal State Fullerton (BM), and Manhattan School of Music (MM); he is currently attending Michigan State University as a candidate for a doctorate in music, vocal performance under the tutelage of Dr. Mark Rucker.  He is a career grant recipient from the Opera Buffs Inc. and Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient from the Shoshana Foundation. Maldonado’s  roles include Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola),  Escamillo (Carmen) ,  and the  title role of Falstaff (Falstaff). He recently performed with The Palm Springs Opera Guild in their Opera in the Park Concert under the baton of Maestro Brent McMunn and made his Long Beach Opera debut in Anthony Davis’ Central Park Five. In 2022,  he covered  Sir Bryn Terfel as Sir John Falstaff in Falstaff at the Aspen Music Festival. He reprised Falstaff in March 2023 at Michigan State, and returned to Aspen to sing Father Arguedas in the opera Bel Canto, by Jimmy López. Maldonado was a finalist in the inaugural Duncan Williams Competition, a collaborative effort by Manhattan School of Music and New York City Opera,  and was  a District winner for the Metropolitan Opera Competition, Audience Prize winner in the Opera Ithaca Competition, and a finalist in the Tenor Vinas Competition in Spain. Maldonado finished a tour with OperaMaya in Cancún, Mexico last  summer. In Aspen he performed a Zarzuela concert with world-renowned Metropolitan Opera Star Ana Maria Martinez, and took lessons with legendary sopranos, Carol Vaness and Renee Fleming.

Maldonado just debuted the role of Don Giovanni in Michigan, before returning to Los  Angeles and debuting with Lyric Opera of Orange County in Falstaff and the Father in Hansel y Gretel.

He then made his Pacific Opera Project (POP) debut as the Gamekeeper in Dvorak's Rusalka. Maldonado will make his  Lincoln Center debut as Escamillo in Carmencita, an Argentinian adaptation in Spanish of Bizet’s Carmen. 

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