Trained in Caracas and then at the Conservatoire de Paris, the sopranist Samuel Mariño, with his crystal-clear, high-pitched voice, recounts how he failed his diploma because he was not a countertenor, how he sources his flamboyant stage costumes in thrift shops, and why he dreams of a kinder and more benevolent world than the one in which he spent his childhood.
Trained in his native city of San Miguel de Tucumán in Argentina, then at the theatre school in Buenos Aires, countertenor Franco Fagioli now lives in Madrid. He speaks about his favourite opera houses, the unexpected discovery of his voice, and that persistent childhood dream: to become Mozart’s friend!
A sopranist since childhood, Bruno de Sá first stepped onto the stage at the age of two. He now tells us how, by defying gender stereotypes, he designs his own stage outfits and became the first man to sing many roles traditionally assigned to women.
Trained in Uruguay and then in Italy, countertenor Maximiliano Danta explores early music as both singer and multi-instrumentalist, while continuing, whenever possible, his commitment to working with underprivileged children.
From Honduras to Europe’s leading stages, Dennis Orellana found his voice almost by chance, somewhere between trombone, choir, and symphonic metal. Fascinated by Bach and Handel and revealed by a visionary teacher, he recounts his meteoric journey—from his beginnings in Madrid to his discovery of Europe—and that overwhelming sensation of finally feeling “at home” on stage.
Founder of Musica Gloria, a baroque ensemble born out of his early years of training, Belgian flutist and harpsichordist Beniamino Paganini, 31, has cultivated an intimate and devoted approach to music since discovering Monteverdi in Bruges at the age of 7.
Dutch classical violinist Charlotte Spruit only discovered the Baroque instrument at university, but now they’re linked for life. She looks back on this unexpected turning point, her first steps on gut strings, the momentum sparked by the Bach Competition, and how she now moves between Baroque and modern, refusing to choose one over the other.
