The Mexican tenor Javier Camarena is one of the leading Mozart and bel canto specialists of his generation. Praised for his sublime tone, brilliant top notes, effortless coloratura and authentic portrayals, he appears regularly in leading roles in the world’s top opera houses. As Ernesto (»Don Pasquale«) he was the second singer in the history of the Metropolitan Opera to give encores in several performances. Javier Camarena is from Xalapa, Veracruz, and studied at the University of Veracruz and the University of Guanajuato. In 2004 he took first place in the Mexican Carlo Morelli National Singing Competition, in the following year he won the Oncinas Award in the Francisco Viñas Competition in Barcelona, which brought him an invitation to the Zurich Opera Studio, directed by his mentor Francisco Araiza. Camarena made his professional début a the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City as Tonio (»La Fille du régiment«) and has since performed there many times. In 2007 he became a member of the Zurich Opera ensemble; he débuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2011 as Count Almavivas (»Il barbiere di Siviglia«), one of his showcase roles. He was also acclaimed for performances including at San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, London’s Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Opéra de Paris, Gran Teatre del Liceu at Barcelona, Teatro Real Madrid, Dresden’s Semperoper and the Bavarian State Opera. Javier Camarena is also much in demand on the concert stage, and has appeared together with his accompanist Ángel Rodriguez and leading orchestras and conductors worldwide. In the 2019/20 season Camarena again displayed his versatility. At the Opéra de Paris he followed his great success as Ernesto in »Don Pasquale« in the previous season with Arturo in »I puritani«. This was followed by his acclaimed début at the Teatro Real Madrid as Gualtieri in Bellini’s »Il pirata«, one of the most difficult of all tenor roles. He is returning to Zurich Opera as Don Ramiro in »La cenerentola«. He débuted at the Wiener Staatsoper in 2007 as Count Almaviva and returned in this role and as Lindoro (»L’italiana in Algeri«) and Nemorino (»L’elisir d’amore«).