Ricardo José Rivera

Puerto Rican baritone and Operalia 2021 Semifinalist Ricardo José Rivera was an ensemble member of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble Member at the Lyric Opera of Chicago throughout the years 2018-2021. Current engagements include performances of Poliuto with Teatro Nuovo where he will sing the role of Severo, performances of Luisa Miller with Sarasota Opera where he will sing the role of Miller, with Opera San José he will perform the roles of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas. He will also perform the role of Alfio in Cavalleria Rustinaca with CulturArte de Puerto Rico. Ricardo has performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago the roles of Sharpless and Yamadori from Madama Butterfly, Schaunard from La Bohème and Baron Douphol from La Traviata. He has also performed the role of Silvano in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s concert version of Un ballo in maschera conducted by Riccardo Muti as well as the role of Escamillo in Opera de Puerto Rico’s production of Bizet’s Carmen. Other roles include Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Claudio in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict. Mr. Rivera is the recipient of several grants, including the Classical Voice Fellowship given by the Luminarts Cultural Foundation in 2021, the Richard Gold Career Grant in 2018, Pro Arte Musical Graduate Studies Grant in 2015 and the José Rabelo Grant. He was also awarded third place in the 2014 MONC Gulf Regional round.