Baritone

Recipient of the Monica & Roger McNeill Award

According to the national Colombian television program “Vivamos la Opera,” Blas Canedo is considered one of the “one of the promising young talents of his generation.” He recently won the Pavel Lisitsian Award at the tenth annual Lois Alba Aria Competition in Houston.  Blas’ palpable ability to engage audiences with passion and magnetism have led opera world class directors and conductors to praise his voice, strong performance skills, and singular charisma.

Blas has performed over thirty principal roles across the United States, South America, and Europe, including Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, the title role in Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Escamillo in Carmen and Vidal in Luisa Fernanda, and many more. He also recently portrayed Doctor Rappacinni in Daniel Catan’s opera La Hija del Doctor Rappacinni at the Moores Opera Center in Houston.

As a concert soloist, Blas has performed, Lunada and Summer Community Concerts Series with the Houston Symphony, Carmina Burana with both the Victoria Symphony, TX, and the Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia at the 100th anniversary of the Conservatory of Tolima. He has also performed Dvorák’s Te Deum with the Caldas Symphony of Manizales, Colombia, commemorating the city’s 150 th anniversary, and Faure’s Requiem with the Corpas Symphony of Bogotá, Colombia.  He has performed the solo in Bacalov’s full production of Misa In Tango several times as well.

As a recital soloist, Blas has included a significant portion of Latin and Spanish art songs in his performances. Blas won the Colombian Banco de la República Young Talents competition twice, resulting in a nationwide recital performance tour.  He also represented Colombia at El Encuentro Internacional de Música de Medellín. Blas was also recently invited by the Fine Arts Chamber Players to perform in their “Rising Star” program at the Basically Beethoven Festival in Dallas.

Blas has also performed as a soloist with Opera Singers Initiative in New York City, Opera in the Ozarks, Crescendo Institute in Hungary, and Le Chiavi di Bel Canto in Houston.

Blas obtained his Graduate Artist Certificate in Music Performance from the University of North Texas, his Master’s degree from TCU, and is currently completing his doctoral studies in Vocal Performance, Vocal Pedagogy and Voice Science at the University of Houston Moores School of Music.

O Carlo, ascolta

from Verdi’s  DON CARLO.

  Blas was accompanied by Maestro Teruhiko Toda.

  HD Video provided by Robert Land Productions.

Maestro Teruhiko Toda at the piano & Photos by Gwen Juarez

Questo amor, vergogna mia

from Puccini’s  EDGAR.

  Blas was accompanied by Maestro Teruhiko Toda.

HD Video provided by Robert Land Productions.

Blas Canedo & Monica McNeill

Finalist : Claudia Chapa