Mexican tenor. He was born in Mexico City on 6 December 1892.
He studied music and singing with Eduardo Vigil y Robles, José Pierson and José F. Vázquez.
He made his debut in opera in 1915, at the Teatro Arbeu in Mexico City, as Fernand in La favorite.
He had a long and successful career, and though Mexico was the center of his artistic activities, he sang also in the United States, Cuba and
Central and South America.
After his debut in 1915, he sang many seasons at the Teatro Arbeu. In 1917, he was chosen for the Mexican premiere of Mascagni's L'amico
Fritz. He also scored a great success as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore.
He sang frequently at the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara. In 1920, he sang there Rigoletto, La favorite, Madama Butterfly,
Manon, Lucia di Lammermoor, La bohème, Faust and Les pêcheurs de perles. He returned in 1921 to
sing Madama Butterfly, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Cavalleria rusticana. In 1925, he sang there Rigoletto and La
bohème, and in 1938 Il barbiere di Siviglia, Madama Butterfly, Lucia di Lammermoor and La sonnambula.
During the 1920s, he sang every year in Mexico City, either at the Teatro Arbeu or at the Teatro Hidalgo, where he was admired in La
traviata, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La sonnambula, Cavalleria rusticana, Manon, Faust, La
bohème, La Gioconda and Don Pasquale. Of course, his greatest triumph was always as Fernand in La favorite, where
he had to "encore" his romanza "Spirto gentil".
When in 1935 the Teatro Nacional de las Bellas Artes was inaugurated in Mexico City, he participated in its first season singing Rodolfo in
La bohème (10 and 18 August 1935). He also sang that year Faust, Fedora and La sonnambula. Onn 20 and 30
August 1936, he sang La bohème. In 1937, he was Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia,
Enzo in La Gioconda and des Grieux in Manon. In 1938, he sang Il barbiere di Siviglia and La sonnambula. In 1939, he
sang Manon, Madama Butterfly, Lucia di Lammermoor and Cavalleria rusticana. In 1940, he sang Lucia di
Lammermoor and La traviata.
He sang for the last time at the Bellas Artes in the 1944 season, again Fernand in La favorite (23 January) with Ramón Vinay as
Alphonse; and des Grieux in Manon (30 January) with Leonor Cadena as Manon.
It seems that his last appearances at the opera were at the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara in 1945, singing Rigoletto and Lucia di
Lammermoor.
He died in Mexico City on 27 April 1968 at 75 years old.
Juan Dzazópulos, January 2008
