Vocal talent, dramatic ability, confidence tempered by humility, and above all, the commitment accompanying a powerful work ethic – these are qualities requisite in an opera diva – and Cape Town Opera’s newly recruited participant in their Judith Neilson Young Artists Programme, mezzo-soprano Julia Portela Piñón (pictured left), ticks all the boxes. BEVERLEY BROMMERT spoke to her:
This cosmopolitan singer’s incorporation into the programme is clear evidence of CTO’s growing reputation internationally, as she joins local artists honing their skills and extending their repertoire under its aegis.
Julia Portela Piñón enjoys a breadth of experience enviable in someone so young: apart from a Master’s degree and an Advanced Diploma in Opera Performance from London’s Royal Academy of Music, she has already won recognition in the UK, USA, Germany and Italy, in addition to her native Spain.
It all began in Lugo, where she was born; singled out from the school choir for her vocal talent, she received extracurricular training privately, which inspired her to carry her education at the State Conservatoire of Lugo. From there, led by her teacher’s advice and family support, she pursued a career in London, starting at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and finally, at the Royal Academy.
“After completing my studies, I had to decide on the right step to take next, and I applied to several companies, among them Cape Town Opera. I sent them what they needed (such as video recordings, and my CV), and … I was accepted. That was at the end of 2022, and I was due to start in January last year, but there were issues with my visa that meant I only arrived here at the end of June 2023,” says Portela Piñón.
“Since then, I’ve had the chance to perform in two productions, and familiarise myself with Cape Town and the people at CTO. They have been most welcoming, and I love your city, even its unpredictable weather! The landscape is so beautiful, and although I come from one of the greenest parts of Spain (Galicia), I am still amazed by Table Mountain, being in the middle of a metropolis,” she says.
Piñón and Puccini
Portela Piñón is enjoying the rigours attendant on rehearsing for CTO’s upcoming Puccini double bill, and acknowledges the ethic instilled into her from both sides of her family as the reason for her dedication to hard work.
Her parents are both geneticists, used to the discipline of research, while her maternal grandparents were bakers committed to making good pies, hence her inherited zeal in striving towards a high standard of achievement.
Everyone in her family was supportive of her aspirations to a career in opera, “first my mother, then my father came on board as well,” she remarks.
At present her register is comfortably set in the mezzo range, although it is expanding/stretching gradually; her natural curiosity leads to a wish to explore all the repertoire that suits her voice, making for versatility in the roles she would like to undertake – from Cherubino to Carmen, the latter being a major desideratum for her.
Baroque music is one of her favourites, and in September last year she assisted the Lutesong Consort and Erik Dippenaar as the annual Baroque Festival had a strong Spanish flavour: she contributed as language coach. In addition, her début lead at the Royal Academy was in the role of Dido in Dido and Aeneas, sadly not viewed by a live audience due to Covid, but live-streamed. “Paradoxically that brings a far larger audience and preserves the performance for posterity,” she comments. Positivity is obviously one of her several strengths.
But wait, there’s more …
On the topic of Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi, soon to be staged at Artscape, she compares her very different roles in the two short works: “In Suor Angelica I am the Monitor, handing out penances to the nuns for transgressions, more an observer than a participant, but in Schicchi I play Zita, a really nasty woman. (Pictured left, with Lonwabo Mose as they appear in Gianni Schicchi). I love the part, as its vocal and dramatic qualities are organically intertwined, and it’s such fun to play villains. I would have enjoyed being the Sorceress in Dido, as I have a mean streak a mile wide”! This is announced with a gleam of amusement that belies any real innate malice.
Ahead of the double Puccini are rehearsals for Mozart’s Requiem at Easter, mounted in Paarl’s Toringkerk, with Portela Piñón singing the alto solo. Thereafter Lucia di Lammermoor, cast to be announced. The life of an opera singer, whether Young Artist or lead diva, is neither dull nor effortless, which suits this young mezzo perfectly.
What: Julia Portela Piñón in Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi
Where and when: Artscape Opera House 14 to 17 February 2024
Tickets: Webtickets and 021 421 7695
WS
