Rene Barbera American opera singer-tenor Date of Birth: 18.03.1984 Country: USA

1. Biography of René Barbera
2. Early Musical Journey
3. Higher Education and Career
4. Notable Performances
5. Awards and Recognitions

Biography of René Barbera

René Barbera is an American operatic tenor, born on March 18, 1984, in Laredo, Texas. When he was nine years old, his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he grew up in a large and close-knit family. Currently, he resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Early Musical Journey

Barbera started his musical journey by taking piano lessons and singing the national anthem in school. His talent for singing was recognized by his teacher, who suggested he pursue vocal training. René joined the San Antonio Boys Choir and performed as a boy soprano for several years. After his voice changed, he discovered his beautiful tenor voice and continued singing in the high school choir, where he found success.

Higher Education and Career

When Barbera auditioned for college, he initially planned to become a school choir director, inspired by his own choir director. However, he was offered a full scholarship to specialize in vocal performance at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Unfortunately, after his first year, he dropped out, believing he could never become an opera professional.

Barbera moved to Colorado, where he attended the Vocal Arts Symposium and met people from the North Carolina School of the Arts. This opportunity gave him a second chance to pursue his dream. He worked hard during his last year in North Carolina, eventually graduating in 2008.

After completing his studies, Barbera continued his training at the American Institute of Vocal Arts in Graz, Austria, and the Vocal Arts Symposium in Colorado Springs. He is currently in his third year of training at the Ryan Opera Center of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, one of the top vocal schools in the United States.

Notable Performances

In recent years, René Barbera has performed various roles in operas such as "Carmen," "Un ballo in Maschera," "La Fanciulla del West," "L'elisir d'amore," and "Lohengrin." He has also performed in concerts, including Handel's "Messiah" with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, Rossini's "Stabat Mater" with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Chicago Philharmonic.

Barbera has received invitations to perform with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Canadian Opera Company, the Santa Fe Opera, the Seattle Opera, and the Vancouver Opera.

Awards and Recognitions

In 2008, Barbera won the Metropolitan National Council Auditions, a prestigious competition organized by the Metropolitan Opera. The same year, he participated in the renowned Merola Opera Program at the San Francisco Opera, where he performed in the Schwabacher Summer Concert Series and the Grand Finale Concert.

In 2007, he was awarded the Grand Prize at the Charles A. Lynam Vocal Competition, which led to a performance with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra.

In 2006, Barbera achieved first place in both the Heafner/Williams Vocal Competition and the Charlotte Opera Guild Vocal Competition.