Famous Spanish Opera Singers

Spanish opera singer and a legend of classical music, Montserrat Caballé became an international sensation after recording the duet Barcelona, the official anthem for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, with Freddie Mercury. She is also remembered for his iconic portrayal of the title role of Lucrezia Borgia.

Spanish opera singer and conductor Plácido Domingo has performed in a variety of languages, such as English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German. The winner of nine Grammys and five Latin Grammys, he later performed as part of The Three Tenors, with legends Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras, releasing bestselling albums.

José Carreras is a Spanish operatic tenor. He is best known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi, and Puccini. Making his debut on the operatic stage at the age of 11, he went on to build an illustrious career in the following decades. A leukemia survivor, he founded the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation.  

The daughter of soprano Montserrat Caballé and tenor Bernabé Martí, Montserrat Martí, or Montsita, is a renowned Spanish soprano in her own right. Known for playing roles such as Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, she has also been part of many charitable concerts. She has also sung with her mother.

Spanish tenor Alfredo Kraus, considered one of the best tenors of the end of the 20th-century by many, was noted for his remarkable performances in bel canto roles. His professional opera debut role of Duke in Rigoletto became one of his signature roles. Other notable roles of Kraus include that of Werther in Manon and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni.

Spanish lyric soprano Victoria de los Ángeles was a sensation in the 1950s and 1960s. While she initially trained in the guitar, she later switched to voice and the piano. Following her opera debut with Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, she later performed at venues such as La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera.

Spanish operatic tenor Bernabé Martí began training in the saxophone in his early days and grew up to study music in places such as Rome and Madrid. He gained fame with his performances in operas such as La vida breve and Salome, and later married soprano Montserrat Caballé. A cardiac condition ended his career.

The daughter of actor and soprano Joaquina Sitches and tenor Manuel García, Spanish mezzo-soprano Maria Malibran was 8 when she debuted on stage with her father. She gained immense fame as Rosina in The Barber of Seville. She died after falling from a horse soon after marriage to violinist Charles de Bériot.

Spanish opera singer Teresa Berganza was known for playing iconic roles such as Rosina in Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. She also appeared in several films such as the 1979 movie adaptation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. She was the first female member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

Spanish baritone singer and voice educator Manuel García was the son of legendary opera singer Manuel del Popolo Vicente García. He started his career with his father’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. He invented the laryngoscope and penned the classic Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing.

Spanish baritone singer and actor Josep Lluís Moll, better known by his pseudonym Fortunio Bonanova, started his career as a telephone operator. After debuting as a singer in Wagner’s Tannhäuser, he had a successful Hollywood career with films such as Tropic Holiday and Moon Over Miami.

Argentine operatic tenor Jose Cura initially trained as an orchestral conductor but later soared to fame with his roles in operas such as Verdi’s Otello and Stiffelio. With Cavalleria Rusticana, he became the second tenor in the history of the Metropolitan Opera to make his debut on the opening night.

Spanish soprano Ainhoa Arteta was the daughter of Coral Eresoinka director José Ramón Arteta and was just 12 when she joined a conservatory. Starting her senior opera career with Rossini's La Cenerentola, she later played iconic roles such as Mimi in La Bohème and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni.

Manuel del Popolo García was a Spanish impresario, opera singer, composer, and teacher. Apart from composing and performing many operas, García also taught music to several aspiring singers, including his own children Maria Felicia Malibran, Pauline Viardot, and Manuel Patricio Rodríguez García.

Xabier Anduaga is an operatic tenor from Spain. He achieved popularity in 2019 when he won the first prize at Plácido Domingo's Operalia in Prague. Xabier Anduaga has performed all over the world; some of his notable performances have been delivered in cities like Paris, Beijing, and Naples.