JoséCuratheSingerinConcert

 Then comes José Cura and the stageexplodes. He’s a real professional withremarkably constant contact with theaudience. The audience gave thankswithastandingovation.

Súgópéldány,February2015

José Cura’s early years as a singer followed the normaltrajectory of young, talented artists: working to acquireexperience, reIining stagecraft and gaining exposure. Thehustle required to “make it” in theaters and open air venuesoften prove over-whelming but Cura thrived under theintensity, the pressure, the public gaze. Nomatter the size ofthecrowd,hepressedon,givinghisall,willinghisall,toreacheachmemberoftheaudience,tosellhimselfandhispotential.Thestruggletosucceedstrengthenedhisresolveandhonedhisinstinctsasanentertainer,allowingtheemergingshowmantogain conIidence, toburnishhis charisma. Cura careened fromopportunity to opportunity, from stage to stage, city to city,developing his unique style of delivery and spreading hischarm, inevitably creating the trajectory needed to launch alegendarycareer.

Recitalswithreducedpianoscoresareastartingpoint inthedevelopment of a young vocalist. Cura learned quickly:performances of highlights from Cavalleria rusticana at theTeatro dell’Arca in Milan, La fanciulla del west for the CircleDordoni in Brescia, Il trovatore at Teatro Rosetum in Milan.CuraalsosecuredhisIirstappearanceoutsideItalyin1992,inBreisgau,Germany,with an eveningof Italianopera favorites.Smallrolesinoperas(LeremendadoinCarmenandIlcapitanodeiballestrieriinSimonBoccanegra)ledtobiggerroles(AlbertGregorinIlcasoMakropulos,LtNikiinSognodiunvalzer, Janin La signorina Julie) and a Iirst recording (Le villi, live fromMartina Franca). International success followed as Cura

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traveledtoChicago,London,Paris,LosAngeles,SanFrancisco,Vienna. Available time for concert-making became limited asperformances in staged operas Iilled his calendar: Curaappeared in concert only three times in the period between1993and1996.Cura’sinternationaloperacareerhadgrownatsuch astonishing speed that it was suddenly difIicult for theyoungtenortocarvetimeinhisscheduleforconcerts—andtheconcerts he did appear in were becoming increasinglyimportantevents.

In 1996, hewas on stage in Pariswith legendary conductorColinDavis to sing inBerlioz’sTeDeumand inDublin for anopera gala before traveling toMelbourne and Sydney to takepart in thePuccini Spectacular, a show speciIically developedforCura’sAustraliandebut.

Puccini Spectacular, Sydney and Melbourne: By popularacclaim the night belonged to José Cura, the audienceroaring its approval of the personable young tenor at thecurtain calls. He is highly impressive in straight-from-the-shoulder passages. The powerful timbre and vigorousdelivery in such sections tends to outshine his equallyeffectiveinterpretationsof"Elucevanlestelle"andardent,non-hysterical"Nessundorma."TheAge,May1996.

In December, he starred in the Puccini segment of the BBCGreatComposersdocumentary.

In1997CurareturnedtoIrelandforathreecityconcerttour,leavingsomecriticssearchingforsuperlatives:

Concert, Cork: José Cura, at the height of his vocal powers,conGirmedat theCityHallonSaturdaynight thathe is thegreatest dramatic tenor in the world. The thunderousstamping of feet on Cork’s City Hall Gloor, the roars ofapproval, said it all: everyone had been touched by theexcitement and tangible sense that here was greatness.Cura was stunning from the Girst off-stage rendering of

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“Deserto sulla terra” from ‘Il trovatore’ and then hisswaggeringly conGident “Tutta parea sorridere” from ‘Ilcorsaro,’bothbyVerdi.Hestrodeupthecenteraisletosendacurrent throughtheaudience forhisscene fromAct IIof‘Levilli,’Puccini’s Girstopera.Here,hethrewhimselfonhisbackon stageanddeliveredoneof themosthauntinganddisquietingariasheardinthis12yearseries.Thebestwasyettocome,withhisaria“Cieloemar”from‘LaGioconda,’bringing the proverbial house down. Cork Examiner, July1997

Cura headlined in a Night of the Stars Gala in London andconcluded the year with a series of six back-to-back,sensationalconcertsinGermany.

London: Appropriately, he took over Andrea Chénier's“Improvviso,” and in Giordano's opera provided the moststirringsingingoftheevening.Cura,boldinhisvocalattackand ready to Glood themusicwith emotion, is anatural inthispart.Hewasalsothestar,carryingthepersonalityandthevolumeto takeon thewastesof theAlbertHall.Hegotproceedings off to a Gine startwith “Cielo emar” from ‘LaGioconda’andclosedtheminequallyringingstylewith“Tuqui,Santuzza”from‘Cavalleria.’OperaGala,November1997

In December, the young tenor paid tribute to the legendarytenor Franco Corelli in a concert celebrating both his careerand his legacy. Cura wowed the knowledgeable Vienneseaudience with his nuanced reading, explosive dynamics, andcharmingstagepresence.PosingbetweenCorelliandGeddaforan iconographic picture, there seemed amoment of palpablerecognition: the older generationwas givingway to aworthynewgenerationofsingers.

Curamanaged only a handful of concerts in his busy year of1998 but theywere exceptional: an extraordinary evening ofsongs and opera arias in Rome and the rollicking, frolicking

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open-air Prinsengracht concert in Amsterdam (available forviewingonYouTube).

Rome:With warm applause and unanimous murmurs ofapproval from the large audience, the Argentinian tenorJosé Cura, one of the most notable young Gigures in thecurrentoperaGield,appearedSundayeveningintheTheatreGhioneinRome.JoséCuraapproachedhissuccessfulRomanperformance with a diverse program, with works ofArgentine composers like Carlos Guastavino, Carlos LopezBuchardo and songs of Maria Elena Walsh, NeapolitansongsbyPaoloTostiandlyricalpiecesbyOttorinoRespighiandGabrielFauré.Inthesecondhalfoftheconcert,thepartthatcreateddeliriumamongtheaudienceforagoodpartofthe presentation, was dedicated to opera arias: “Un dí allazzurro spazio,” from the Girst act of the opera ‘AndreaChénier,’byUmbertoGiordano,“Donnanonvidimai,” from‘ManonLescaut’byPuccini,andespecially“Vestilagiubba,”from ‘Pagliacci ,’ by Ruggiero Leoncavallo. CuracommunicatedwiththeenthusiasticaudienceintheItaliancapitaluptothepointoftranslatingintoItalianthetextsofseveralsongs,especiallythoseofArgentineorigin,andalsoin his interpretation of “Somewhere,” from LeonardBernstein’s‘WestSideStory,’withwhichhehadtheaudienceeatingoutofhishand.ThetriumphantperformanceofJoséCuraculminatedinanendlessovation.Clarins,1998

Amsterdam:TheArgentiniantenorJoséCura,inAmsterdamon Saturday night as the soloist for the seventeenthPrinsengracht concert, isa composer, arranger, conductor,guitarist; he is also widely considered to be the mostpromisingtenorofourtime.Inaddition,heisabornactorwith a Glaming temperament, great theatrical sense, arelaxed and playful air and lots of Glair. Before the breakCura persuasively sang Argentine repertoire from his newCD ‘Anhelo.’ After, Cura sang opera arias, impressing withhishighlyvariableandcolorfulvoice.And “Comeunbeldi

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Maggio”fromGiordano's‘AndreaChénier’showcasedCura’sunexpectedlycharminglyricism.NRC,August1998

In1999,Cura Iithis concert appearances intoavailable spacebetween opera commitments: in the spring, he appeared inLondon, Dublin, and Paris; in the summer in Dalhalla andMartina Franca and in the fall in Frankfurt and Hannover.PerhapsthemostmeaningfultoCura,however,washisconcertat theMonumenttotheFlagwhenheofferedaconcert tohiscountrymeninhishometownofRosario,Argentina.

London: Doomed heroes galore from Verdi, Puccini andcompany were paraded before the Festival Hall audience,bewailing their lot, hearts breaking, facing death inrecitativeandaria.Though[José]Cura'sringingvoice,pin-up looks, leonine proGile and CD releases have alreadywhippedupalargefanfollowing,ittookonlyafewnotesofDonAlvaro'sActIIIlamentfromthe‘ForceofDestiny’fortheman'smagic towork: the tone clear as a bell, color-codedchocolate brown. Individual words throbbed with feeling:"Piango!" he cried in "Sento avvampar nell'anima" from‘Simon Boccanegra,’ a hand brieGly clutching his throat,shadingwith all the rainbow's darker hues; the voicewasmelliGluous.Apromisingvoice....TheTimes,March1999

Dublin:The Argentinian tenor's stentorian delivery servedhimbest inverismopieces:hedeclaimedAndreaChenier's“Improvviso” with ringing ardour and went on to giveexemplaryperformancesof show-stoppers from ‘Pagliacci,’‘La fanciulla del west,’ ‘Tosca’ and ‘Madame ButterGly,’ allgivenwithscrupulousattention tophrasingandwithoutahintofagulporsob.Thebonusinthisfeastofmachotenorsinging was a truly stunning account of “Nessun dorma”from‘Turandot.’TheIrishTimes,March1999

Rosario: Itwas ten past eight in the evening and a breezewascomingfromtheriver.WithhisbacktotheMonumenttotheFlag,JoséCura,theRosarinotenorwhoisnowastar

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on the world stage, stepped out in a black velvet jacket,whiteshirt,graypants.ThepeopleofRosarioreceivedhimwith applause, with cheers, with shouts, like thosewelcoming home a triumphant hero. Cura happilyannounced that there are more than 40,000 people inattendance.Then,batoninhand,hestartedtheconcertwiththe overture of ‘La forza del destino’ by Giuseppe Verdi.Silence,music,applause, theemotionof simplybeinghere,theexcitementofseeingitunfoldhere—that’showthenightwent.Curaofferedsomethingforalltastes:heaccompaniedhimself on the guitar, singing “Yesterday” by the Beatlesbetween opera arias. At times, the emotion could not beovercome. Intheend itrainedpetalsofroses. Clarin,April1999

2000-2001

José Cura entered the new century as a true internationalsingingstar, indemandbyoperacompaniesaroundtheglobe,with a growing body of recordings and increasing prestige.Muchofthesummerof2000wasspentinpromotinganewlyreleased CD, with promotional concerts in Oberhausen,Wiesbaden, Vienna, Munich, Mannheim, Hamburg, Stuttgart,andZurich.Of special note is the concert inBudapest in July.Performingwith the FailoniOrchestra of theHungarian StateOpera Budapest, Cura sang works by Puccini, Verdi,Leoncavallo,andCilea;theconcertisavailableonDVD.

In2000, JoséCuraheadlinedasuperbconcertatRoyalAlbertHall,London,inSeptemberbeforeheadingtoIrelandforatwo-cityconcerttour.

London:Cura is the real tenor article,with that Italianatering that is so rare. He enjoys Gilling his chest for the bigcrescendos,whichhemanageswithnoapparentdifGiculty,

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and there were moments, in Don José's “La Gleur que tum'avaisjetee”from‘Carmen,’forexample,whenthetimbrelightened,theheadvoicebringingadelicacyofcolour. TheIndependent,September2000

Curaalsoappeared in theBasilicaSantaMariadegliAngeli inRome in a concert commissioned by Pope John Paul incelebrationofPalmSundayof the Jubilee2000.ADVDof theperformance(InPassioneDominiConcerto)isavailable.

2001addedconducting to theCuraportfolio,with tenorCurasharingstagetimewithmaestroCura:hereceivedathree-yearappointment as principle guest conductor for SinfoniaVarsovia, the great Polish chamber orchestra previouslyhelmed by Yehudi Menuhin. The initial concert of thecollaborationtookplaceinNovemberinWarsaw.

Cura’s vocal concertswere primarily scheduled in spring andsummer.

Leipzig:Gewandhauswelcomedthetenor,celebrated intheoperahousesofMilan,Vienna,London,andNewYork, intotheir hearts, right from the Girst aria from Verdi's seldomheard opera ‘Il corsaro.’ This was in part due also to hiscasually self-conGident way of presenting the highlights ofPucciniandGiordanooperas.Andnaturallyaboveall,itwasbecause of his voice, with its dark timbre and velvetymiddle. After “Nessun dorma,”whichwas an encore, thereseemedtobenoendtotheapplause. LeipzigerVokszeitung,May2001

In2001JoséCuraappearedinnumerousspecialperformancesand opera productions honoring the Centenary of Verdi'sdeath, notably two concerts with soprano Daniela Dessicelebrating Verdi's art at the Barbican Centre in London(available on DVD); he was also on the concert stage withRenato Brunson in Parma for an evening of Verdi arias andduets.

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Barbican: Cura wins hands down on musical talent alone.The sound is dark and thrilling, his delivery ballsy andimpactive.He'saGinevocalactor,colouringhisvoicetosuiteach character. The Girst half of the concert focused onVerdi's Glamboyant heroes—dangerously glamourousGigures. Each of them was rawly, thrillingly portrayed,thoughitwasn'tuntilaftertheintervalthatwewereabletoappreciatethe fulldepthandrangeofCura'ssinging. TheGuardian,March2001

Parma, Verdi Gala: Dear Verdi, this is how they sing inparadise[…]Atriumphforamega-concertwithall-stars.ALas Vegas-like atmosphere, a show of billion-dollar vocalcords: on the stage were the living legends—like Mehta,Carreras, Devia, Nucci, Raimondi—and rising legends likeJoséCura:thatistosay,thebestoftoday'soperasingers.Insomecasesthesamecharacterwasinterpretedbydifferentsingers, such as Otello, sung forcefully by José Cura, andwith the proverbial passion by Domingo. Everyone gavetheir all. In short, a luxurywithout precedent. At the end,the expected triumph: for one night Parma dreamed. Pitythatdreamsvanishatdawn.GazzettadiParma,March2001

Another highlight of 2001 was Cura's unforgettable stop inBerlin for the Open Air Classic concert series; the inimitabletalent took the venue by storm, leading to long-ringingapplauseandrapturouscriticalacclaim:

Berlin:NowhehasGinallybeeninBerlin,JoséCura,thenewstar in theTenorsky, theLatin loverwith thepowervoice,thesinginghopeof the21stcentury.TheThreeTenorsaredead.LongLiveJoséCura!BerlinerMorgenpost,July2001

Berlin:Cura,likehisThreeTenorcolleagues,hasoneofthemostimportantrequirementsforsuccess:anattractiveanddistinctive voice,with an erotic kick like that of the youngCarreras,andaspowerfulasDomingo,crispintheheights

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and surprisingly dark in its depths. Berliner Morgenpost,July2001

Curacompletedhis2001performanceyearinJapan,wherehepresentedfourconcerts(threeinTokyoandoneinOsaka).

2002

As a concert performer, José Cura has successfully integratedthe roles of singer and conductor as demonstrated in hisgroundbreaking performance in the Vienna Konzerthaus inNovember 2002. Seamlessly moving from singing arias fromhis new album, Aurora, to conducting the RachmaninovSymphonyNo.2,hisperformanceledtocriticalaccolades.

Vienna: The evening at the Great Hall of the ViennaKonzerthaus showed Cura's janus-faced talents. In theItalian arias of the Girst half of the program, Curademonstrated his boisterous temper, powerful and metaltimbre aswell as secure and spectacular highnotes. Aftertheintermission,CuraprovedhisGirst-classinnateabilitieswith a breathtaking interpretation of Rachmaninov'sv igorous ‘Symphony No. 2 .’ To summarize thisenthusiastically received evening: a highly talentedconductorwhoalso sings opera forhis ownpleasure. DiePress,December2002

Vienna:JoséCuraperformedfortheGirsttimeinViennainaconcert which presented him as a singer and conductor afewdaysbeforehis40thbirthday.Curaconcludedthe GirstpartoftheconcertwithanexcellentrenditionofaSpanisharia fromHéctorPanizza’s ‘Aurora.’Prior to thispiece, thetenorhadalreadylandedthehighlightoftherecitalsingingasCorrado(“Ah,sìbendite…Tuttopareasorridere…”)fromVerdi’s ‘Il corsaro,’ which electriGied the theater. Cura the

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tenor was in demand again for the second encore, animpressive “Nessun dorma,” crowned by a very longfermata.Withthisconcert,JoséCuraonceagainconGirmedhis status as an interesting artist, one who doesn’t leaveanyoneindifferent.DerNeueMerker,Jan.2003

Other important concerts in 2002 included four outdoorvenues:Dalhalla,Sweden;Lodz,Poland;HerodAtticus,Athens,Greece; and Hyde Park, London, where Cura entertained anaudience estimated at 40,000. Notable venues included theNational Concert Hall in Taipei, the Pavilhao Atlantico inLisbon,andtheKremlininMoscow.

Sweden:Nine out of ten artistswould have cancelled: JoséCura was that ill yesterday. But he sang. And Curatriumphed.He sangavery Gine interpretationofCorrado'srecitative and aria from Verdi's ‘Il corsaro’. "Cielo e mar"wasbrilliantbuthewastooilltodojusticeto"OParadiso."Nevertheless,itisimportanttopointoutthatitisdoubtfulifaGinerversionwilleverbeheardinDalhalla.Curaisreallyin a class of his own. After the intermission, the concertbecamemorethanjustagoodconcertwithabravetenor-itwassomethingmuchlargerthanthat.HisGlowerariawasawonder of nuances and credibility. The audience gave astanding ovation after the ‘Carmen’medley. In spite of hisillness, he found the strength for ‘Nessun Dorma.’ I haveneverbeforewitnessedsuchgenerosityandrespecttowardsanaudience.FalunKurirenJune2002

Sweden: Pouring rain frommorning until evening and anoperastarwithfeverandacold:therewasn'tmuchgoingtomaketheconcertonFridayeveningasuccess.Mostartistsprobablywouldhave cancelled.Not JoséCura.Throughoutthe evening, José Cura appeared relaxed and easy-going,chatting and joking with the audience and, most of all,singing like a god.When José Cura sang Enzo's aria fromPonchielli’s‘LaGioconda,’theygavehimastandingovation.The air was raw and damp but nevertheless José Cura's

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voice lasted even thoughhehad tokeepahandkerchief inhis hand and cough during the pauses. "Ojojoj" could beheard from theaudienceafter the “Intermezzi épico” from‘Aurora’ and it was certainly movingly beautiful with thecombined stringsandharp.Menhavemademe crybeforebut never because they've sung so beautifully. To hear“Nessundorma”sunglivebyahandsomemanwithalovelyvoice,well…Theaudiencepaidtheirtributewithastandingovationandbravos.Thankyou,JoséCura,foraremarkableevening!Dala-Demokraten,July2002

Athens:AsthemusicGilledthenightsky,accompaniedbythelighteveningbreeze,Curademonstratedthathisworld,formany an impenetrable universe, is as accessible as anyotherformofmusicalexpression,provideditcomesstraightfromthesoul.Kathimerini,July2002

Lisbon: A genius in communicating with the public, manytime setting the mood, José Cura showed himself as aconductor, tenor, pianist, and guitarist as required by themoment,and left thecrowdinastandingovation. CorreiodaManha,October2002

Aalborg:JoséCuraismulti-talented,somethingfullyrealizedintheconcertfromtheveryGirstnumber.HeconductedtheoverturetoVerdi’s‘Forzadeldestino.’IhaveneverheardtheAalborg Symphony Orchestra play more beautifully. Herewas precision, poetry, and intense involvement. Thewholeconcertwaslikethis.Itisalargevoice,theonethatresidesinCura'sbodybuilder'sbreast.Anditresidestheregoodandsafely,thesoundGlowingfromhimaseffortlesslyascrystalclear water Glows from its source: sometimes gentle,sometimes swelling but always perfect, breathtaking,natural.BTonLine,November2002

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2003

FromtheconcertinJanuaryinPraguetostopsinViennaasthehonoredguestat theViennaOperaballand inSydney for theopening ceremonies of the Rugby World Cup to the Iinalconcert in Zurich for students, 2003 witnessed Cura in non-stop performance mode. In May, Cura completed a series ofconcerts in Busseto, Verdi's hometown, where he sang everytenor aria written by composer and conducted all Verdisymphonic overtures. In July, he dashed between Verona,where he was fully engaged in the summer opera season, toRegensburg andMunich. He ended the seasonwith a uniqueoutdoorconcertinBudapestinAugust.

Busseto:ThatJoséCuraownsthemagicformulaforsendingan audience into a state of rapture was proven all tooclearlytheothereveninginthetinyTeatroVerdiofBusseto,which was literally brimming with enthusiasm. ParmaGazette,May2003

Regensburg:JoséCura,a‘tenorerobusto,’–orishea‘tenoredi forza’? Hard to tell, especially since the lines thatmarkthedifferentkindsofrepertoireareGluid.CurasingsAlfredoalong with Otello: he obviously mixes repertoire—aphenomenon.EvenatthebeginningofhiscareertherewerenorolessuchasNemorinoorAlmaviva; insteadhestartedoutwithTuriddu,a lirico-spintorole.Andthedevelopmentof his voice led him right on to José, Alvaro, Alfredo, DonCarlo—and time and time again Verdi. Now he has addedPuccini’s Calaf to his repertoire in Verona. The voice iscontrolled effortlessly, ranging from piani, dimminuendi,crescendi to powerfully produced high notes. The velvetbaritonal timbre, consciously covered notes, everything iscarriedexpertly throughall registers. It is interestinghowCura almost literally ‘bites’ into the notes. The vocalinterpretationofthevariousrolesisdoubtlesslydominated

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bysingingtechnique,butnevertotheextentwhereuniformsoundandsheerdisplayofvocalpowerpredominate.Well-deservedapplause.Telezeitung,July2003

Regensburg:Tenor JoséCura infatuatedhisaudienceat theFirst Regensburger Thurn und Taxis Schlossfestspiele. Andcanhesing!HismagniGicentvoicehasbecomemoremature,fuller, bigger—in short, better. His vocal expressiveness iscaptivatingandgoesstraight to theheart.HestartedwiththerecitativeandariaofAlvarofrom‘Laforzadeldestino,’then sang his unrivalled "Vesti la guibba" from ‘Pagliacci,’and bewitched the audience with a stirringly rendered "OParadiso" fromMeyerbeer's ‘L'Africaine.’ After the intervalcamePuccini's"E lucevanlestelle,"and"Addio Gioritoasil."And who had heard "La tregenda" from ‘Le Villi’ before?Then followed "Non piangere Liu" and as a climax of theofGicial program the "Intermezzo epico" from HéctorPanizza's ‘Aurora.’ Frenetically cheered also were the twoencores, "Tra voi belle" from ‘Manon Lescaut’ and "Nessundorma," the triumphant closure to a triumphant evening.DerNeueMerker,Aug/Sept2003

Munich:No tenorial sighs and no sentimental super lows-everythinghad formatandwasdonewithclass.Curakepthis baritone-colored voicemasterfully under control up tothe highest height. Even in Puccini's crowd pleasers from'Tosca,' 'Madame ButterGly' and 'Turandot,' he proved hisstylisticGirmness.Moreover,hetoppedallthiswithavocallybrillianthighlight, the “Intermezzoepico” from 'Aurora'byhis fellow countryman Hector Panizza. SueddeutscheZeitung,July2003

In October, he returned to Prague for a standing-room-onlyconcertfeaturinganinspiredselectionofPucciniariascoupledwiththeSymphonyNo.9inEminor,FromtheNewWorld,fromtheCzechRepublic'smostfamouscomposer,AntoninDvoràk.

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Prague:OnThursdayeveningtenorandconductorJoséCuraoncemore Gilled the SmetanaHall to bursting. Any doubtsaboutwhetherhehadsomethingtoofferorifCuratwiceinone year was too much for Prague were immediatelydispelled. [And] for the second time José Cura showed hismusicalversatility,hisintelligenceandtaste.Nomedleyfortenor, but a subtle journey through Puccini: Ramerrez,Edgar, Roberto and Luigi are characters that most of ushave not seen on the stage, quality tenor parts to whomPuccinigivesarias fullofdramatic feelingandtension.Wecould count on the Gingers of one hand those who couldfollow the [Italian] words but nevertheless the wholeauditorium understood what he was singing. And that isbecause Cura understands his heroes and knows how toextract the truth of an experience, a feeling and anexpression. For some people Cura’s concert is awell-madeshow, others are taken by his attractive, masculine tenor.FormethepreciousthingishowhesingsandactsPuccini.Cura isnot justa singeraccompaniedbyanorchestra;hisinterpretation isacompact,dramaticexpressionofaction,feeling and thought. José Cura is a strategist, supervisor,workingmasterandsovereignlordofhisevening.Heknowshow to apply his musical imagination. He works Glat out,withoutvanity,butratherwiththegoodhumorandgraceofan entertainer. Let anartistwith suchanarsenal of ideascontinuetocometoPrague.Lidovènoviny,October2003

Concert, Prague: For the second time in ten monthsArgentiniansingerandconductorJoseCurahassoldouttheSmetanaHallinPrague.Theartistturnedtheeveningintoatrue show, which after several encores culminated in“Nessundorma”theworld-famoussongfrom‘Turandot.’ Inall,hesang8arias.Ashesang,hewalkedfreelyaboutthestage, expressed his appreciation for the Prague ChamberPhilharmonic, kissed the young lady violinist who is theconcertmasteroftheensemble,andscatteredGlowersfromladiesintheaudience.Hemadeanearlyconnectionwithhis

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audienceandattheendhadhisenthusiasticpublicontheirfeet.Ceskenoviny,October2003

Prague: Without doubt the highlight of the eveningremainedtheGirsthalf,inwhichJoséCuraperformedsimplyas an outstanding exponent of Puccini. The arias from‘Fanciulla del west,’ ‘Edgar,’ ‘Le Villi,’ ‘Il Tabarro,’ ‘ManonLescaut’and‘Tosca,’fromwhichheperformedCavaradossi’simmortal“Reconditaarmonia,”weretrulymagniGicentandoncemore conGirmed Cura’s exceptionalmastery andGod-giventalent.DeníkyBohemia,October2003

Prague:Cura comes onto the stage notwith the conductor,but only when themusic has started, walking around thestage, singing while sitting down, turning his face to theorchestraandwatching themplay,professinghis love toaladyviolinistand leading thepublic in theirapplause.Butwhenthisshowman,whoisperhapsdrivenbyamotorthatis a little too powerful, concentrates and pays attention,then inhis rushof emotion, sadnessandmelancholy,he isthrilling. It is no surprise that on the opera stage, Cura isdazzling.Wearegladwehavehim.IDNES,October2003

2004

José Cura’s Iirst concert of 2004 was in Seoul, South Korea,with a playbill of great Italian arias. A summer of acclaimedconcerts followed. Of special note was the Berlin Open AirClassic with Monserrat Caballé and the one in Ekaterinburg,where José Cura Iirst offered an impromptumaster class forstudents and teachers at the music conservatory, then aneveningofconcertpiecesandoperaticarias,someofwhichhadnever before been heard in the city. The public responded tothe irrepressible maestro with an outpouring of affection,

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jamming all roads leading to the theater and rewarding Curawithalongovation.

InMoscow,hewasacclaimed“Agreatactor,whoseversionsof operatic arias were as sinewy and spectacular as theirexecutor himself” and in Henley, “His personality warmedthecrowdonachillynight”.

Berlin:Withhisdarktimbre,Curawasaltogetherthetenorpop star;behindhermusic stand,MonserratCaballé liftedher soprano into treble spheres. By the end, the littleSpanish “grande dame” and the mighty Argentinian startenorwere in each other’s arms. But by then, the adoringcrowdhadalreadybeenlyingattheirfeetforalongtime—nothingunexpectedhere.BerlinMorgenpost,July2004

Ekaterinburg:Therearesomeless-talentedartistswhomaysingmorebeautifullybutnonemorebrilliantly.Thegloryofthissingerisintheoriginalinterpretationofthecharactershebringstolife.Nakanune,June2004

Ekaterinburg:TheEkaterinburgconcertprovedtobeahugesuccess for the brilliant José Cura. The star displayed asplendid voice, one rich with nuances and passion,effortless. The end came with the aria “Nessun dorma,”duringwhichtheorchestraheldonforanenormoustimetoallowthesingertocompleteaninGinitelylongB,elicitingaroarofapprovalfromthehall.RegionsRU,June2004

Henley: I haveno inhibitions about Friday’s entertainmentwiththecolorfulArgentiniantenorJoséCura.Helookslikeapirate and rightly concluded this was an evening forswashbuckling,notGinesse.Hesangwithvigor,wiggledhisbottom as he conducted and even played the guitar. Theentire audience was seduced by his rafGish charms. DailyMail,July2004

In July, Cura ran the Olympic Ilame to the stage of theOinousses amphitheater and sang the Olympic Anthem and

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“Nessun dorma.” He Iinished the summer with outdoorconcertsinVespremandGyula,Hungary.

Veszprém: JoséCuracreatedanatmospherewithaLatinistmentality, passion and singing, radiant personality, andquicklyenteredtheheartoftheHungarianaudience. BekesMegyeiHirlap,August2004

Cura returned to Lisbon at the end of October to headline aspecialeveningofmusicfortheAssociaçãoPortuguesacontraa Leucemia. Combining artistic excellence and charismaticstage presence, Cura enchanted the enthusiastic audience ofthousandswithhiseclecticmixofAmericanSpirituals,operaticfavorites and Argentine songs, as well as his inspiredconductingofOrff,Rachmaninov,andBorodin.Switchinghatsfor the second act, Cura became the consummate pop star,sharingthestagewithsomeofthenation'smostrecognizablesingersinduetsoffamiliarPortuguesesongs.

Lisbon:Inthecaseoftheilltenor,JoséCurawas,ofcourse,worried about saving his vocal cords and divided his timebetweendeliveringbodyandsoulandtryingtolastuntiltheendofthemorethanthreehourspectacle.Itwasthereforenoteworthy that theArgentinian tenor Gilled theenormousroom with his extraordinary voice while singing the aria“Nessun dorma” from Puccini's 'Turandot.’ There weremagicalmoments,withspecialnoticegoingtothedeliveryof "Feiticeira" by Represas and Cura and in theirreproachableexecutionofthemusic.Diariodigital,October2004

JoséCura's star shonebrighton2Novemberwhenhehostedthe Night of Ten Tenors at the Royal Festival Hall. Always achampion of emerging talent, Cura did double-duty as tenorandmaestro:hedemonstratedwhyheisconsideredoneoftheIinestsingersintheworldbydeliveringsomeofopera'smostspectacularariasinhisunmistakablestyle,thenhesteppedtothepodiumtodisplaynotonlyhissuperbconductingskillsbut

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also his innate sensitivity to the needs of his nine youngsoloists.

London:Youwaityears foraniceyoungtenorandthen10comealongatonce.Sadly,though,they'renotallasdashingand gifted as José Cura. Cura made light work of theLeoncavallo and Puccini standards. The dashingArgentinian thenprovedhimselfa stylishand sympatheticmaster of ceremonies, giving all nine wannabes the timeand space to display their wares in the shiniest possiblelight.Curaelegantlydemonstrated [that] the tenor’sart isas much to do with expressiveness, communication skillsand body language as with the voice. The Observer,November2004.

Cura ended 2004 with a series of highly acclaimed, sold-outconcertsinSwitzerlandthatbroughtaudiencestotheirfeetinthunderousapplauseandleftcriticsenthusiastic:

Geneva:Thereisn'tasoulwhocanresisttheimpressionthathehastheprivilegeoftakingpartinadialog,ofbeingtakenby thehandwithwarmth tobe leaddown thepathsof allmusicalgenres.TribunedeGenèva,December2004

Berne:Cura isan interpreter,aperformerequippedwithadramatic, fascinatingly heroic voice: his tenor sparkles,shines radiantly and irresistibly in the Forte and theFortissimo. In the Girst part of the concert, Cura delightedandcharmedtheaudiencewithVerdi,PonchielliandPucciniarias, driving folks to bouts of frenetic, wildly ecstaticapplause.Inthesecondpart,Curatookupthebatonhimselfand conductedDvorak's ‘SymphonyNo. 9.’ Berner Zeitung,December2004

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2005

Cura's Iirst concertof2005wasa sizzlingaffair featuring thetenorwithstarsopranoAnnaNetrebkobeforeanenthusiasticcrowdof8,000attheColognearena.

Concert with Anna Netrebko, Cologne: Cura threw himselfinto his roles; he hurled himself at the hearts of hisaudience,heslipsintohischaracterstotallyandcompletely.Cura'svoiceexplodeslikeavolcano.Ifthis,hisindisputablyGod-givengift,whichheuseslavishly,wereevertogiveout,Cura has the ability to conduct, compose, or become anopera house director. The man possesses many talents.KölnischeRundschau,April2005

Concert with Anna Netrebko, Cologne: Netrebko and Curawereabletocaptivateandwinovertheaudienceandreapstanding ovations. On one occasion, the charismaticArgentinian even stole the show from the almost toounassuming Russian with his tenor vocal explosiveness.YahooNachrichten,April2005

ConcertwithAnnaNetrebko,Cologne:JoséCura'svoiceoozessensuality. With glowing baritonal coloring, fantasticallysecure height and personal nonchalance, and with 'Gire-crackers' like the ‘Pagliacci’ aria or Puccini's “Nessundorma,” he threatened to upstage the Russian. Aachener-Zeitung,April2005

In July, Cura shone at the opening ceremonies of the WorldGames in Duisburg, Germany. His participation in thisinternational gatheringof athleteswas conIirmationofCura'sdeepandabidingcommitmenttoyouthsandtohisbeliefinthepower of the positive. Employing his rich tenor voice in bothclassical and contemporary music, Cura celebrated thebeginningoftendaysofpeacefulcompetitionbetweenathletesofvariousnationalities.

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World Games, Duisburg: With the classical aria "Nessumdorma" from Puccini’s ‘Turandot,’ the world-famousArgentinian tenor won the hearts of the audience.WestdeutscheAllgemeine,July2005

WorldGames,Duisburg:StartenorJoséCuraearnedtheGirstovation. With the Duisburger Philhamonic as sympatheticaccompanist,Curatouchedtheheartsof theaudiencewithhis classical delivery and contemporary sound. NRZ, July2005.

In November, Cura headlined a concert in Killarney and inDecemberperformedforacharityinPiacenza.

2006

Inmid-July,CuratraveledtoRijeka,Croatia,forasummernightofremarkablemusicmaking.TakingtheoutdoorstageatTrsat,Cura cast a spell over the audience with his display of vocalIireworks,incisiveconductingandsterlingstagecraft.

Rijeka,Croatia:ItisnowclearhowJoséCurawinstheheartsofaudiencesaroundtheworld.Hischarisma?Certainly.Hiswonderfulandstrongvoice?Evenmoreso.Butaboveall,itis his complete absorption in the music that makes thecharactershesingscomealive.Ihaveneverhadsuchadeepoperatic experience as I did during this concertperformance. It is impossible to Gind on our opera stagessuch dramatic feeling, in both singing and acting, as thefamousArgentinianwasabletoachieveontheTrsatstage.JutarnjiListJuly2006

InOctober,Curawas inBelfastheadlining theBelfastFestivalwithhisusualstyle,grace,andvigor.

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Belfast:ThestarryopeningconcertbroughtaBelfastdébutwith the Ulster Orchestra for Argentinian tenor José Cura,one of those singerswhose voice so Gits him like a glove itgives him the freedom of movement of any well-Gittinggarment. He conducts, too, and not without skill. IrishTimes,October2006

Belfast: Without a doubt, this weekend’s concert at theBelfastFestival, featuringJoséCura,willbediscussedforalongtimetocome.OnFridaynightheentertainedthecrowdwith his sheer excellence. When he entered, he radiatedwarmth,magnetism and great sense of enthusiasmwhichwontheaudienceoverstraightaway.Inhischosenselectionofsongs,which includedLeoncavallo’s“AriadiCanio” from‘Pagliacci’ and Verdi’s “Morte di Otello” from ‘Otello,’ Curadisplayed his complete mastery of vocal technique. Hisphrasing was always perfect and his seeminglyinexhaustible voice just Gloated up to one stunninglybrillianttopBafteranother.Hisstrongvoicecouldbeheardclearly throughout the auditorium from any point that hemovedtoonstage,evenwhenhisbackwastotheaudienceashefacedthechoirstalls.Curaseemstosurrenderhimselftotally to the characterization of each role and hisdisciplined singing and passionate expression weresupreme. Cura returned to the stage to perform severalencores and received a standing ovation from a veryappreciativeaudience.Thiswasaverymemorableoccasion.Welldone,BelfastFestival!IrishNews,October2006

Belfast:Inanagewheneveryoneseemstobelabelledastar,eachonebiggerthanthenext,itwasnicetoseeandhearaperformerofgenuinequalityandsurprisinghumility.Asithappens, José Cura’s voice is pretty wonderful: strong,accurate andwell-supported. As a performer, he’s entirelyat ease on stage, moving about and interacting with theorchestra. We were also given a glimpse of Cura’s actingabilityasheinhabitedtheroleofeachpiecehesang.Death

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of Otello by Verdi was especially heartfelt, as was thespectreofthebroken-heartedclownCanioleavingthestageafterthefamousariafrom‘Pagliacci’whichendedtheGirsthalf of the concert. Inevitably, there were encores, one ofwhich,“SonetoIV”byGustavino,wasanArgentinesongforharpandvoiceonly.Theever-charmingCuraplantedakisson the harpist’s cheek afterwards, and I’m sure the entirehallsighedasone.Newsletter,October2006

Belfast: JoséCuraisarareGind.Aswellasbeingatalentedvocalactorthathasthephysicalitytoaddasenseofrealismtopopularoperaticroles,heisalsoaskilledconductor.Curabegan his performance offstage, later casually struttingaroundtoenveloptheaudiencewithhispowerfulpresenceas he performed “Cielo a mar” from Ponchielli’s ‘LaGioconda.’ThecharismaticperformernextswitchedrolestoconductGiordano’s “Prelude” toAct2 from ‘Siberia.’Cura’srelationshipwiththeorchestrablossomedasheinterpretedGiordano’s “Comeunbel diMaggio” from ‘Andrea Chenier’and the short but sweet “Amor ti vieta” from ‘Fedora.’Puccini’stouching“Elucevanlestelle”from‘Tosca,’andthecrowd-pleasing “Nessun dorma” from ‘Turandot,’ signaledtheendoftheprogrammedconcert.However,Curawasfarfrom Ginished. Three encores later, this international starwasmetwithastandingovation. BelfastTelegraph,October2006

CurareturnedtotheUnitedStatesat theendofOctoberforaseriesofperformancesattheMetropolitanOperaandtwoverydifferent concerts. Flying to Miami as special guest of theOrchestradeSaoPauloforanightofLatin-accentedmusic,JoséCura'sIirstU.S.concertwasagreatsuccess:

Miami: At a time when the opera world is searching forreplacements for the beloved Three Tenors, Cura has thevocal resourcesandcharisma tomakehispresence felt. Intwo arias from Puccini's 'Tosca', Cura's impassionedvocalism and sensuous, dulcet soft tones held the house

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enthralled. In twoboleros("Somosnovios"and"Esta tardevillover"),CurasangwiththecasualeaseofFrankSinatraor Tony Bennett. For encores Cura offered a lovely,surprisinglyunderstatedSpanish love song (withexquisiteharpaccompaniment)anda ringing, stentorianversionof"Nessundorma"from'Turandot.'Bysheerforceofvoiceandpersonality, Cura came and conquered. Miami Herald,November2006

Miami: The Argentinian tenor José Cura captivated theMiamipublicwithhisvoiceandhisaffection.Theapplausegiven,withoutadoubt,wasameasurementofthedegreetowhichthepublicwastakenwiththissinger,andinthiscasethat applause became delirious when he gave as the lastencorethefamousariafrom'Turandot,'"Nessundorma."IthasbeenalongtimesincewehavelistenedtoaheroicvoicesuchasCura's,whichunitesatemperamentthatknowshowto imprinteachpassagewiththerequiredemotion. DiarioLasAmericas,November2006

Miami:ArgentinetenorJoséCura’sdramaticGlairshowedupearlyinhisperformanceatthenewCarnivalCenterforthePerforming Arts. As the Orquesta de Sao Paulo played thepreludetothe famous“Vesti lagiubba” from ‘Pagliacci,’animposing, dark-haired man entered, carrying an ordinaryblack chair over his shoulder, unsmiling and ignoring theaudience. He sat down and put a hand over his eyes.“Recitar!” he began, and launched into a dramatic andpowerful expression of the clown Canio’s grief over thebetrayalbyhiswife.Theglitteringcrowdwaswowed.Curahasapowerfulvoice.Histoneandphrasingweren’talwayspolished but likeMaria Callas,who also possessed unevenvocalequipment,hemovedtheaudiencethroughthesheerdramatic force of his voice and manner. The wildlyapplaudingaudiencewasrewardedwith threeencores.HelaunchedintoPuccini’s“Nessundorma,” literallyendingona high note as the roar of approval from the audience

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drowned out the orchestra. South Florida Sun-Sentinel,November2006

JoséCuraalsotookpartintheTuckerGala,aprestigiousannualeventthatfeaturesoutstandingoperasingersperformingariasand scenes. Cura worked his magic in front of the standingroomonlyaudiencewithanelectrifyinglyofferingfromVerdi'searlyoperaIlcorsaroandastheincreasinglydangerousMoorinanActIIIscenefromOtello.

TuckerGala,NewYork:Thehighpointswerethrillinglyhigh:JoséCuraexplodedwithGieryenergywhenhetookthestagefor 'Il corsaro's' "Tutto parea sorridere… Si! De Corsari ilfulmine.”OperaNews,February2007

Curaendedtheyearingrandstyle intheChristmasinViennaconcert.

2007

Following his fund-raising gala in Lisbon for the AssociaçãoPortuguesacontraaLeucemia,CuratooktimeoutinLondontohold an extensive master class for a select group ofinternational singers and a follow-up concert inDevon in hisroleofPatrontotheNewDevonOpera.

In July, José Cura made his triumphant return to Argentina.BeginningwithCura'sparticipation in the rededicationof theMonument to the Flag in his hometown (where he wasintroducedasoneofthe50extraordinaryRosarinos),througha seriesof semi-staged, rapturously receivedperformancesofSamsonetDalilainBuenosAiresandanunforgettable,intimateconcert in front of family and friendswhereheunveilednewcompositionsbasedonthepoetryofPabloNeruda,andendingwith a Iinal, fascinating master class held for aspiring local

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singersatRosario’sUniversity,thetimespentinhishomelandwasextraordinary.

Monument to the Flag Celebration, Rosario: Then José CuramadehisappearanceonthestageandcalledtogetheroncemorealltheRosarinoswhohaveilluminatedtheworldforacollective rendition of “Song to the Flag” and the aria“Nessun dorma” by Puccini offered sufGicient evidence ofCura'sremarkableinterpretiveskills.Notife,June2007

MasterClass,Rosario:Ifthereisapinnacleforartists,thatis,a higher level where the chosen few live, then yesterday,Friday,27July2007,between10AMand8PM, JoséCura'splace remained empty, because during that time hedescendedwithhumility to the lower level to connectwiththe youths who attended his master class, as much withthosewho sang aswith thosewho listened. (Yes, you readcorrectly,withhumility,wordswhich,accordingto"critics"cannot be applied to this Rosarino who is so passionateabouthiswork).EntreNotas,July2007

JoséCuraendedthesummermonthsinCortona,Italy,withtwoconcerts at the prestigious Tuscan Sun Festival; Cura led theRussianNationalOrchestrainaneveningfullofgemsfromtheRussian orchestral repertoire and followed up with a vocalconcert featuring some of the most popular pieces fromLeoncavallo,Puccini,Verdi,andBizet.Hisnextconcertwasanequally sizzling performance in Halle, where he shared thestagewith sopranoAnnaNetrebko inaneveningofariasandduets in front of a sold-out audience of over 8,000 cheeringfans.

Concert with Anna Netrebko, Halle: The audience of morethan8000 in the sold-outGerryWeberStadiumrespondedenthusiasticallyWednesday evening toAnnaNetrebkoandJoséCura.TheArgentinian,whoisnotonlyasingerbutalsoacomposer,conductor,andaphotographer,convincedwithhis very expressive voice and his appealing manner,

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particularly apparent in his interaction with Netrebko.Fromthiseveningonwecanspeakofa"new"dreamcouple.MindenerTageblatt,August2007

Concert with Anna Netrebko, Halle: Argentinian tenor JoséCura was an equal partner to say the least. Dream-pair-partner Rolando Villazón has cancelled all performancesuntiltheendoftheyearinthehopesofregaininghisvoice.Asaresult, replacementshad tobe found for the tourandwhile Marcelo Álvarez in Cologne paled somewhat next toAnna Netrebko, Cura Gilled the stadium with an imposingappearance and a strong tenor voice rich in nuance. Soconvincing was he that he even received more applausethan the Russian diva for his solos from ‘Andrea Chénier’andthe"Recitar"fromLeoncavallo's‘Pagliacci.’OsnabruckerZeintung,August2007

Concert with Anna Netrebko, Halle: A beautiful evening, abrilliant concert experience—and a new dream couple forclassicalmusic?MindenerTageblatt,August2007

The new season started in Septemberwith amaster class inNancy, France, where Maestro Cura added to his growingreputationasteacherandmentor:

MasterclassandConcert,Nancy:Wediscovered themeasureof this artist: the exceptional cream and quality of thetimbre,combinedwithperfectcontrolofvocalemissionandawarmlyLatinvibrationandaninterpreterwhoobviously"lives"whathesings.Wealsohadthemeasureofthischef-d'orchestre in opera: José Cura let the orchestra breathe.ForumOpéra,September2007

Following another gala concert in Lisbon in support ofAssociação Portuguesa Contra a Leucemia, Cura traveled toCologne to headline in the famous verismo double-bill.Between performances in Cologne, Cura presented twoconcertsinEindhoven(thesecondaddedbypopulardemand):

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Eindhoven: There are tenors and TENORS. With tenor werefer to a singer, whereas TENOR refers to a way of life.TENORSplayonanaudience,not to them.Theymould themusic,theyworktheirwaytowardsthatonehighnoteandholditforaslongaspossible.Allthisisaccomplishedwiththeunconditionalapprovalof theaudience thatwishes fornothingbuttheunabashedTENORattitude.AndexactlythisiswhattheEindhovenaudiencegot lastweekendwithJoséCura, rankingwithPavarotti,but inbettershapeandwithlessadoaroundhisperson. EindhovensDagblad,November2007

2008

AfterconductingasymphonicconcertattheDeutscheOperinBerlininMarch,Curaofferedagalaconcert inDusseldorfandthen rounded out the summermonths with performances inconcertattheFestivalofToledoandattheTuscanSunFestivalin Cortona, where he also presented an exhibition of hisphotography in conjunction with the release of Esponténeas:PhotographybyJoséCura,publishedbyVerlagScheideggerandSpiess.

Düsseldorf:JoséCuraprowlsthestageassoftlyasalurkingtiger. The 45 year-old Argentinianwipes hismedium longcurls,drippinginsweat, fromhis faceasheengages inhissport of singing. The audience responds with frenziedovations.Bravosurgehimonagain.Thetestosteronetenorunleashes one thousand volts. Especially in the middlerangeheshines,carryingaglowingpower,ratherbaritonalin weight and brilliantly dramatic. Immediately you see aGigure of suffering—Glesh, blood, tendons, andmuscles. Hestormed the summit of bel canto with baritone BorisStatsenko in the Libertá duet between Don Carlos and

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MarquisPosa.Here,Curademonstrateshowheworks,withpassion and pathos. Opera needs this Latin American forsuchspectacles.NRZ,April2008

The start of the 2008/2009 season saw Cura presenting amasterclassfortheNewDevonOpera,forwhichheisPatron.

Cura followed his run of La fanciulla del west performanceswith two notable concerts, one in Zagreb and the second inNancy.TheNancyperformancecameayearafterhiscelebratedmaster class for Nancy Opera Passion and in advance of his2010masterclassinthesamecity,certainlythebeginningsofagreatloveaffairbetweenmaestroandpublic.

Nancy: Itmust be said that José Cura has an unusual andverybroadrange.Itpassesfromthechestvoicetotheheadwitheaseandelegance.And,mostimportantly,hemanagestostaycompletelywithinhischaracter,despitethedifGicultyofaconcertwhenhegoesfromoneroletoanother,almostwithouttransition.LeRépublicainLorrain,October2008

Nancy:JoséCuraenchantedtheNancyoperaFridayevening.What a night! With him, opera sounds simple, natural,instinctive.Joyful,even!Itwashisclearandconversationalcelebrationthatwonoverthehall,whereheappearedwiththeyoungsoprano,JulijaSamsonov.Theeveningwaslikeadream,bettereventhanthatenchantment.AllthetalentofJosé Cura, who appears to enjoy Nancy so much that hepromises to returnnext year, lives in thegenerosity of thecharacter whose voice reaches its fullness with disarmingease. Sometimes he takes the baton of a conductor,sometimes he leads the young Julija into a corner of thestage, asks for a pair of glasses from a spectator toimprovise the singing of an aria from the ‘Marriage ofFigaro.’Donotbedeceivedby theappearanceofease; it israther certainly the mark of greatness. But beyond thevolubility, beyond the ease to create an intimacy with thepublic,therearehoursandhoursofwork.Welcomedonthe

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biggest stages, Cura does not hide his pleasure in Nancy,and the audience returns the feelings. He received astanding ovationwithout end,whichhe shared by holdingJulija’shandandsendingkissestotheorchestra.Weaskformore.LeRépublicainLorrain,October2008

2009

2009wasayearinwhichsymphonicconcertstookprecedenceover vocal concerts but summer was especially rewarding.Startingwith an opera gala in Oviedowhere he teamedwithmezzoElinaGaranca, followedwithaquickstop in Italy foraconcertattheEmiliaRomaniaFestivalandendinginSantanderwithaprogramofSouthAmericansongs(includingthoseCuracomposed on poems written by Pablo Neruda), Cura offeredevidence of his wide-ranging talents, effective showmanship,andgloriouslymanagedvoice.

Oviedo:Oneofthebestoperagalas, ifnotthebest, tohavebeen heard in Oviedo in decades. José Cura sang ashattering"Dio!mipoteviscagliar."TheArgentiniansingertransmits thedramatic quality like fewothers.Add to thishisbeautiful timbreandgoodmuscleand itall suggestsawinningvaluebeyondmarket invention. LaNuevaEspaña,June2009

Oviedo:The opera gala to beneGit the Fundación Banco deAlimentos that united Elina Garança and José Cura on thestage of the Campoamor won the hearts of the audience.Cura'sstrongdramaticenergygavelifetoVerdi’sOtelloandthe clown in “Vesti la giubba.” He offered a passionateinterpretationofDonJoséinBizet’s“LaGleurquetum'avaisjetée.” After three rounds of bows and having presentingworks not often heard at Campoamor, Cura offered a

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“Nessun dorma” that Ginished conquering the audience.DiarioIndependientedeAsturias,June2009

Rocca San Casciano:With the last poignant note from theencore “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s ‘Turandot’ andmarkedbytenminutesofshoutsandthunderousapplause,the opera concert offered in the PiazzaGaribaldi at RoccaSan Casciano by the Fondazione Ugo Becattini came to atriumphant conclusion at midnight with the Romagnapublic in delirium, bewitched by the eclectic Argentinian-Madrilenian tenor José Cura and the Filarmonica ArturoToscanini. The generosity of the orchestra, skillfullyconductedtwicebyJoséCura,whoseentirebodywaslikeatruematadorofthestage,pullingoutalltheartisticenergyofthe instrumentsasaMadrileniantoreadorinthearena,thesuperblyskillandappealingactorand tenor JoséCuraoffered such a harmonic show that it satisGied a thousandpeople.IlRestodelCarlino,July2009

Peralada:ThetenorshonehislyricalanddramaticpowerintheclosingofPeralada.Curaappliedhisstagepresenceandappealing acting skills in the service of a repertoire ofworksbyLeoncavallo,Verdi,andPuccinianddemonstratedapuretenortimbretingedwithdarktonesandanabilitytorecreate the pathos of the character. He ended the operagalawith an impressive “Nessun dorma” that brought theaudiencetoitsfeet.ElPeriódico,June2009

Peralada:ThePeraladaFestivalendedits23rdseasonwithasolorecital,theGirstofitskindinSpain,bytheArgentiniantenor José Cura. The male verismo arias are strong andmanly;itneedsaseasonedtenorwhodoesnotshrinkfromhigh notes, who can project strongly over the orchestralaccompanimentandwhoconveyswholesaleemotions.Curagives the full measures of all these aspects and had noproblem in completing with brilliance the terriblydemanding program. In the end, the tenor José Cura wasboththeloverandthebeloved,satedinlove,seenoffwitha

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standing ovation and a conviction that if verismo had notbeen invented by the Italians, it would have been by theArgentinians.ElPaís,July2009

Peralada:JoséCuraclosedtheFestivalofPeraladayesterdaywithamemorable concert.Thebig voiceof the tenordoesnot leaveanyoneindifferent;neitherdoesthewayhegivesall his energy and vitality in the Girm commitment toportraying the characters he plays. Cura is a wild stageanimal.HedemonstratedthatfromhisGirstappearance,animposing presence walking among the musicians as heoffered the declaration of principles that is the prolog toLeoncavallo’s ‘Pagliacci,’ a verismo piece written for abaritone.Thetenorthenputonasadfaceforthecelebrated“Vesti la giubba,” a high risk change of character andtessitura. The quick Glip brought the Girst sustainedapplause. The singer, conductor, composer and stagedirectorknowsthataconcertinnotsimplysingingoneariaafter another but an opportunity to create character andclimax.After thepubliccheeredtheir idol, in theencoreheoffered an intense “Nessun dorma,” an ideal close to thesoireeandtheFestival.Avue,August2009

Peralada: Through operatic records and publications, wealreadyknewthatJoséCuraisoneofthemostoutstandingtenors today. Yesterday, in a performance of arias, heoffered conGirmation. He gave a recital without barriers,coming and going naturally, avoiding applause andunderstanding it. Cura showed a powerful voice andexpressive approach that prevailed over all. The applausewasintenseandpassionate,andwewererewardedwiththeexpected“Nessundorma”from‘Turandot.’His“vincerò”washeroic, strong,andstriking.Anartisticsuccess toclose theFestivalofPeralada.ElPunt,August2009

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Santander: Much was expected tonight, with Argentiniantenor José Cura and the compositions on poems by PabloNerudawhichhehasset tomusicdebuting inourcountry.How could it be otherwise that the recital, whichdemonstrated Cura’s stunning singing ability, turned intosomething intimate and close? It is possible to say thatCura’s transition for the 58th edition of the FIS was verypositive and allowed him to demonstrate that he has thecapacity todoalmostanything if thevoice is involved.TheArgenta room rewarded himwith bravos and ovations. Inshort, it was a nice evening that brought us thephenomenonofCura inallhisdimensions. Culture,August2009

Santander: In Santander, Spain, the Argentinian tenor JoséCura offered a recital of Argentinian songs, intimate andsottovoce.Inpremieringhisownmusic,heprovedthatheisnot satisGied with being an opera star. The Argentiniantenorgavehisemotionalallinordertochampionhismusicbeforeanaudience,whichreactedwith“bravos”and livelyapplause.EFE,August2009

Curastartedthenewperformanceyearteachingamasterclassfor young singers in Nancy, followed by a concert with fullorchestra toprovide the complete opera experience for theseartists.Asoneparticipant,FlorentMbia, remarked,“IwasnotatallexpectingthisandIamsublimatedbythispersonality,andI’m telling tomyself that we’re having an enormous chance tohave this fellowwho isallatoncea singer likeus,a conductorandaveryverygreatmusician.Thatisluck.Therearenotmanysingerswhowillgetthesamechance.Thereareplentyofthingsthat I've learnt, enormously, I assure you; it’s not to Vlatteranybody or to do small talk, I assure you. Especially when itcomes to the way of acting on stage, and living the music,transcending the music and then conveying something to thepublic,thankstohimforthis.”

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Curaended2009onahighnoteinbothZurichandVienna.

Zurich[175thanniversaryoftheZurichOpera]:JoséCurahadthe most rewarding task with “Nessun dorma,” and afterthisyear’shighlyacclaimedperformancesof‘Turandot’wascheeredlikeahomematch.ButhowhetransformsthestagewithhisCalaf,andwhilethechoirsings,veersoff intothatGinal ‘vincero’–thatrocked!(Atermnotusuallyassociatedwith opera, but the only appropriate one.) José Cura is anactor,heistotallynarcissistic,butheisalsooneofthefewrockstarsinopera.StudentMagazine,November2009

Zurich [175th anniversary of the Zurich Opera]:A favorite ofthe Zurich audience, José Cura, blasted the hit “Nessundorma”intothehall.HedidthiswiththecharmoftheLatinlover and with humorous asides. Oper-aktuell, November2009

Vienna [Christmas in Vienna Series]:A celebration for “JoséCuraandFriends” couldhavebeen thenameof thisyear’straditional Viennese concert, ‘Christmas in Vienna.’ Thehighlight of the big Christmas Gala was undoubtedly theappearance of Los Calchakis, a four member folk musictroupefromArgentinawho,togetherwithJoséCuraandtheVienna Academy of Music, performed the unconventional“NavidadNuestra”sospontaneouslythatoneforgottherestof the splendid framework and opulence of the programcompletely.JoséCurashouldcomebackagainandbeagaininsucha‘giver’smood’–ChristmasinViennain2009stoodunderaverybrightstar!DerNeueMerker,December2009

2010

In February, Cura was invited to the Budapest Opera ball,wherehesangandconducted.

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BudapestOperaBall:BudapestbestedtheVienneseinhavinga star of truly international stature on stage. ArgentiniantenorJoséCura,whoiswell-establishedinalltheimportantopera houses of the world, presented two songs after heconducted the Opera Ball Orchestra. Cura, charming andgracious, cut a good Opera Ball Gigure. Pester Lloyd,February2010

Cura capped off his season with a series of gala concerts inKazakhstan,CzechRepublic,Hungary,andGermany.SopopularisCuraintheseregionsthatasecondconcerthadtobeaddedinCeskyKrumlovduetooverwhelmingdemand.

Dresden: A well thought-out sequence of famous andpopularhits fromoperas,operettasandmusicalsbyVerdi,Puccini, Bernstein, Arditi and Léhar resounded in goodquality,aswellas—verymuchtothedelightoftheaudience—McCartney’s "Yesterday." José Cura, who belted out hisfamous, well-proven highlights effortlessly, was cheerfullychattybetweenthemusicalparts.Hisvoiceandhisabilitiesand accomplishments as actor are legendary, but on thisevening,heshowedhimselftobemorelaid-backandyet,forthe sake of the audience that listened seriously anddevoutly,heintensiGiedfromtimetotimetohisusualhigh-qualityartisticperformanceaswell.Theaudience,raptandlisteningreverently, expressed theirgratitude for thisveryhigh-classpopularconcertwithmuchapplause.IngridGerk,August2010

2011

A series of concerts brought the performance year to asuccessfulconclusion.

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Berlin: JoséCuraperforms the Girst vocalnumberhere, the“Prologue” from Ruggiero Leoncavallo's opera ‘Pagliacci,’with a charismatic voice that is instantly appealing andmemorable.Theaudiencedelightsinthisandinthemidstofthis splendid setting feels momentarily transferred into aMediterranean landscape. Pleasantly relaxed, easy-going,casual,that'sthewayJoséCuradealswiththetextsandalsowiththeaudience,forheleavesthestageareaandgoesintothestallsofblockAinordertoGlirtalittleandspreadamixofArgentinian Gireand Italiancharm.Perhaps it isexactlythis blend of Gire and passion-in-action that allowed JoséCuratobecomeoneofthemostsought-aftersingersattheworld's opera houses within just a few years. This was agrandiose evening celebrated in midst of a magniGicentsetting.DasUnabhagngigeMusikmagazin,July2011

Savonlinna:The Argentinian tenor José Cura raised such astorm of applause at St. Olaf’s Castle on Sunday eveningsuch as never before experienced. Cura offered anuncomplicated and warm stage presence as well astouching way with songs that melted the audience. Theencore, “Nessun dorma”, was cheered with the wholeaudienceontheirfeetandyelling.Itä-Savosta,July2011

Savonlinna: Star tenor José Cura succeeded handsomely atthe SavonlinnaOpera Festival. The starwas at his best intheoperaariasanddemonstratedthereasonforhisworld-wide reputation. As an entertainer, he was an unabashedcommunicatorwhomadetheaudiencefeelcomfortable,ranaroundthestage,GlirtedwiththePhilharmonicOrchestra’sconcert master, played guitar while singing PaulMcCartney’s “Yesterday;” the classically educated singerevenstayedinthegroovewhensingingwithTarjaTurunen,formerlyofNightwish.AwonderfullyhandsomerenditionofPuccini’s“Nessundorma”lefttheaudiencetrulyexcited.Thestar has Ginally come to Finland and his is a rare natural

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tenor voice the sound of which we want to listen tomoreoften.HS,July2013

Savonlinna: José Cura charmed the audience from thebeginning.Curasangboththe“Prologue”andthegreatariafrom ‘Pagliacci.’ They required baritone and tenor singingbutCurahadnoproblemwith either.Alwayspleasing, thepowerful voice operated steadily through the whole scale.The“Prologue”callsforustofollowthedestiniesoflife:theloves, thehates, thedeaths.Curagave thewordsmeaning,whispered them, sighed, cried, beguiled. The aria from‘Pagliacci’ exudes the despair of an aging artist. Bigemotions rose as he immediately involved the audience.CuratooktothePucciniariasasnaturallyasbreathing,asliving.“Lucevanlestelle,”theariafrom‘Tosca,’wasriveting,theinterpretationdrippingwithintensedespair.Thesoundwasfreshandstrong,animpressivepackage.Theaudiencewas spellbound, they loved José Cura. A stormof applausewent upwith the opening notes of “Nessun dorma” and itendedwithanevengreaterroar.AterriblestormseemedtocryoutthatJoséCurahadtheheartsoftheaudience.Heisagreatsingerwithgreatclassandaperfectlycharmingstagepresence.Itä-Savosta,July2011

Saaremaa Opera Days: Not only a talented singer andconductorbutalsoskillful in interactingwiththeaudienceandpartneringwith the orchestra and chorus, José Cura’spresence placed the small islandmore prominently on theworld’s operamap. Cura Glirtedwith his partner andwiththeaudienceandmade jokes, but the schedulewasdrawnupwithoutdiscountingItalianoperaclassic,andinsodoingwas effectively done. José Cura left a high bar to match.Frenzied clapping, foot stomping and a standing ovationshowedtheelationcausedbythissinger.JoséCuratossedabeautiful bouquet to the audience, which by now hadbecomeoperafans.Meiemaa,July2011

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SaaremaaOperaDays:FortheGirsttimeinhiscareer,oneofthe top tenors in the world came to the ‘Saaremaa OperaDays.’JoséCurahasbroadreach;inparticularweknowhimasaworld-class tenorwhocanalsosingthehighbaritoneroles. In Saaremaa, the program was imaginative andatypical.ItwouldbedifGiculttopickoutaspeciGicaria—theentire program was perfect and emotional. José Cura’sconcertwasunquestionablytheconcertoftheyearandoneof our most important cultural events. Ekspress, August2011

2012

Cura entered the summer months of 2012 with a series ofspectacularconcerts.

Moscow:LastThursdaytheRosarioartistshoneinaconcerthegaveattheKremlin.LaCapital,July2012

Moscow:Tohiscredit,JoséCuraconstructedtheeveningsothat even the most determined opponents of non-acousticconcerts took pleasure: the colorful timbre, the ability tomovefromvelvetdramaticnotestodelicatelyricalones,thetenor and baritone repertoire and the charm and artistrycouldbeassessedeventhroughthespeakers.Theprogramwascompiledwithabang—ingeneral,therepertoirewherethesinger,knownforhisabilitytoprojecthisfeelings,wasabletoshowoffhisskill.Andthenhepickeduptheguitar,calledfortheinterpreter,andtoldthetouchingstoryofhowthe Girstsonghe learnedwas“Yesterday.”Hesang it—veryromantically—to his own accompaniment, and brought totheir feet the nearly six thousand who quite denselypopulatedtheKremlinhall.NezavisimayaGazeta,June2012

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Moscow:Intermsofaccomplishmenthereallyhasnoequal.Tenor, baritone, conductor, composer, guitarist, operadirectorandproducerandpublishedauthor—inshort, thetype of Renaissance man that cause people to smokenervously in the cornerwhen he’s around. His is a strongand passionate tenor not only of good timbre but alsowonderfully equipped with all the killer techniques of theItalianschool.Izvestia,June2012

Moscow: JoséCurasang“Yesterday,”accompanyinghimselfon theguitar; soon thesymphonicorchestrabegantoplayalong. And while this deGinitely violated the “canons” of aclassical opera concert, it sounded very sincere andappropriate.Afterall,duringtheconcertthesinger’scharmandempathyhadreducedthehugespaceoftheKremlintothe size of a cozy chamberwhere therehad simplybeenafriendlychatbetweenmusiciansandlisteners. JournalStarTeatral,June2012

Moscow: José Cura bravely struggled with air conditionerand microphones—and won. In addition to a voice hehandlesmasterfully,hedazzledtheaudiencewithhismagicpersonality. At the end of the show he came out with aguitar to play “Yesterday.” The six thousand spectators inthesold-outhallareprobablystillclappingevennow.Českýrozhlas,July2012

Istanbul:ThevenuewascompletelyGilled,andwithpeopleofallageswhoroared theirapprovalofCuraas ifhewerearockstar.Curabroughthisboldstagecharismatoİstanbuland,byallaccountsthatnight,wonhundredsmorefans.Hisoff-hand charm, spontaneous theatrics and selection ofeight of the world’s most popular tenor arias proved awinning formula for Cura and this sold-out audience. Hisradiant voice sounded absolutely glorious in that largevenue. His conducting was clear and direct, eliciting theessentials from the score with no excessive actions.Throughouthissinging,hetendstodarkenhisuppernotes

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by changing the vowel shape and placement; as a result,clarity andbrilliance is sacriGiced. But Cura, the tenor, thepersonality, the conductor, the composer, the actor andstage director, loomed large and certainly lit up İstanbulthat night as the sparkling centerpiece of the 2012 OperaFestival.Today’sZaman,July2012

2013

As a special treat for fans of quality singing and charismaticperformers, Cura was able to sprinkle his busy performanceyear with a series of must-see concerts (Vienna, Budapest,Soria,Antalya,CataniaandMoscow)highlightedwithabravurareturn to Paris and the introduction of his highly-regardedrecitalsfeaturingSpanishlanguagesongs.

Vienna:Thiswasan eveningof a different kind, offeredbythetenorwhowasborn inArgentina,and itwasobviouslyvery important for him to showhimself in a differentwayfromadifferentpointofviewfromtheusualdramaticstageroles. JoséCurawasrestrained inhis singing,offeringsoftvoice,ashe sought tomaintainmusically thehigh literarystandards of the texts. Soulful, emotionally intense areprobably the terms to apply. In the second half, Curapromised tohavea littlebitmore funwith songs centeredon Glowers [and ended] with “Canción a la bandera” fromHéctor Panizza’s ‘Aurora’ sungwith full force, volume andhighnotes. In short,hegaveeverythinghis fanshoped forfrom him.With a lot of applause andwarmth, therewerethreemoreencores.DerNeueMerker,September2013

Paris: Like Ginewine, José Cura’s singing has improved; hehas returned with renewed energy. The silhouette hasthickenedbut thewider vibratoofhis timbrehas retainedits black velvet, especially when the voice is released. The

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high notes which were effortful are [now] emitted morenaturally. Facing an enthusiastic audience, expressing hispleasurefromthestart,thetenoremphasizednuance.Goodforhim!Curaisnevermoreexcitingthanwhenhelightenshis tone and dares muted colors. The interpreter hasexpandedhisrangeofexpressions.Pagliacco,DickJohnson,evenmore Otello, while deprived of the theatrical artiGice,arepresentedintheirtheatricaltruth,irrefutably.Thisisagenerousartist.ForumOpera,October2013

Paris:WecouldfaultJoséCuraforavoicethatnowhasthepatinaofageandsometimeshasdifGicultiesnegotiatingthehigher notes. But what a commitment in a concertperformance in which he was successively Tonio, Otello,Canio and Dick Johnson! The state of tension in which hecompleted Act IV of ‘Otello’ commands respect and wasliterally stunning. The tears he paid to the standingParisianaudienceanditsovationmadethisconcertoneofthose thatyoumarkandremember fora long time.Thosewho did not attend missed the boat. ODB-Opera, October2013

Budapest: José Cura’s charity concert in Budapest was amemorableevening.HearrivedatthePalaceofArtswithaquiet, intimate chamber program, full of Argentine songs;he also brought one of his compositions. This song, whichCura composed for a poem by Pablo Neruda, had anunusually strong impact at the end of a melancholy,bittersweet,inspiredandpoeticsong-recitalondeathbasedonArgentinefolklore.JoséCuracouldbeacomposerofhighcaliber, if he could Gind more time to composing. I didn’tknowthefaceofthechambermusicianJoséCurauntilnow.It ismuchmore difGicult to present themessage of a songlasting only a few minutes to the audience; however JoséCura does this so well that we almost understand themessage without the translator. In the second part of theconcertwe listened to the ‘MisaCriolla’ and theChristmas

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songs of ‘Navidad Nuestra.’ It was a beautiful conclusion,worthy of the Girst part of the concert and it also creatingtherightspiritofChristmasintheperiodofAdvent.MagyarNemzet,December2013

Budapest:TicketsweresoldoutwithinmomentswhenwordgotoutthatJoséCurawouldperforminBudapest[offering]a special Argentine evening in the Palace of Arts for theSalvaVitaFoundation.Itwasroaringsuccess.InJoséCura’svoicetheworld'ssoftestandmostvirilemalevoiceisheard.It is robust, gentleand caring.Therewerebeautiful songswritten for poems from such poet as Pablo Neruda. Therewaspaininthem[mingled]withthemagicofsoftsounds.Inthe second part of the concert we listened to two sacredmusicpiecesfromArielRamirez:‘MisaCriolla’and‘NavidadNuestra’withtheBudapestMonteverdiChoir,theArgentinegroupLosCalchakisand JoséCura.Thesewere IndianandLatin melodies with the sounds of Glying Andean birdsperformedwithdevotion,passionandincreasinghappiness.JoséCurasangandalsoconductedthechoirandmusiciansstandingwithhisback to them.His Gingerswerespeaking.BytheendoftheconcerteveryonewasGilledbyhappiness.Infovilág,December2013

2014

José Cura started the year with a triumph in Stockholm asAndrea Chénier, thenmoved from strength to strength as heportrayed Mario Cavaradossi, one of Cura’s very best roles,Otello,andDickJohnson,allwhileofferingagenerousnumberofenticingconcertsbetweenacclaimedoperaperformances.

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A series of South American concerts delighted fans in Berlin,where he entertained the audience vocally and with hismagneticpersonality.

Berlin:JoséCuraarrives.Heremoves(orputson)hisglassessuggestively,Ginessingtheconnectionwiththetexts,andtheemotionsrise.Itisnotjustthevoice,whichisfantastic.Curatold the charming story of the school children singingHector Panizza’s “Canción de la bandera,” a difGicult tenoraria, every morning. Everything should be sung sogorgeously!Kulturradio,February2014

Berlin: Argentinian José Cura, one of the most celebratedtenors in the world, thrilled the Berlin audience with hisinterpretationofsongsbycomposersfromhiscountry.Theconcertprogramconsistedofsongsfortenorandorchestraby three of the major composers of Argentine classicalmusic: Alberto Ginastera, Carlos Guastavino, and HéctorPanizza.Curaembroideredtherepertoirewithhisvoiceandon-stage actingmagnetism that hasmade him one of thegreat Gigures in theoperaworld. DeutscheWelle,February2014

Berlin: Rosario tenor José Cura was showcased at the“FestivalofSouthAmerican”inBerlin,movingtheaudiencewith a program consisting of works by Ginastera,Guastavino and Panizza [to become] one of the mostacclaimedartistsat thetwoweekFestival. Terra,February2014

CurastoppedinBratislavaandOstravafortwoeveningsfullofoperaarias,thrillingaudienceseagerforthesortofspectaculareveningofmusicmakingonlyCuracanprovide.

Bratislava:Aremarkablenumberof visitorswereattractedto themonstroushallof theNationalTennisCentre for thecultural event of the year 2014 in Bratislava: José Cura, aGirst rate singer at the zenith of his career. The voice

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mesmerizeswithdarkcolorandmetallicluster[and]hestillhasafeelingfordrama,psychologicaldimensionandsubtleshades of each character which is reGlected inmost arias.OperaSlovakia,March2014

The summer concert season featured Cura in Düsseldorf, aspart of the Musique en fête at Théâtre Antique d'Orange infrontof8300operaenthusiastsinJune,andinBodrum,Turkey,wherethecity“heardthevoiceofGod”inCura’sperformance.

Düsseldorf:Ultimatelyyouforgivethisfantasticsinger-actoreverything. A trumpet-like smashing "Esultate" and theappropriatelyrestrainedvoiceintheloveduetaswellastheabsolutely stylistically stunning rendition of Cavaradossi's"E lucevanlestelle"offeredallwhat is tobeexpectedfromhim.Asanencore,hesanga"Nessundorma"infrontofthecomplete ensemble gathered on the stage and fascinatedagainwithhisincredibleself-awareness.Whileothertenorstremble with fear facing the last phrase with its trickyheights, he interactedwith his partner, the conductor andeven the orchestra, wandered across the stage and Ginallysanga"Vincerò"thatcausedtheaudiencetoalmostgooutof control with enthusiasm. With Cura, the actuallyimpressive thing is the overall package: a great voice,secure topnotes, strikingactingpotential and thealreadymentionedunshakenconGidenceinhisownskills. DerNeueMerker,June2014

Düsseldorf: The role of the fervently melancholy hero wasconGidently assumed by José Cura. With his considerablestagepresenceandhisfullradianttenorvoice,heproducedthe required bloom—the Italian way—from the Girstmoment. Translucent moments piled up. RP Online, June2014

Düsseldorf: José Curawas vocally at his best in his encore,“Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s ‘Turandot.’ His timbre was

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warmandround,hisvoicefreeandGlexibleasitunfoldedinallitsglory.WestDeutscheZeitung,June2014

Düsseldorf: José Curawon the hearts of the spectators butnot only with his radiant tenor. “Singin’ in the Rain,” hesuggestedtoconductorAlexKober,grinningmischievously.And after the love duet from Puccini’s ‘Tosca,’ he kissedcolleagueMageesmackonthenose.Express,June2014

Bodrum:Where do I begin to speak about this concert? Iswear I do not know. The repertoire was obviouslymeticulously selected, with Argentine songs and beautifularias from the world of opera. Leoncavallo’s famous ariafrom ‘Pagliacci’ opened, and the large audience eagerlyawaitedJoséCura’sarrival,eyessearchingleftandrighttothesideofthestage.Then,fromthebackrowofthearenaamagical voice could be heard... Cura sang as if the singercould sense the inGinity of nature. Until the end of theconcert, artistic desire, ambition, joy, peace, grabbed thereins aswewatched. All I'm saying is our village soundedwiththe"voiceofGod."Sanattanyansimalar,August2014

Theyearendedwithaseriesofsensationalevents,includingagala performance at Arena di Verona, participation in thecelebration in honor of Elena Obraztsova at the Bolshoi, thepremiere presentation of Cura’s Stabat Mater (conducted byfellow Argentinian Mario de Rose) in České Budějovice, arecital in Monte Carlo featuring Argentine songs and a NewYear’sEveconcertinVilnius.

Zabrze:JoséCura,returningtoPolandafteralongabsence,arrived onstage in the Domu Muzyki i Tańca in Zabrzeshowinggreatartisticform.EverytimehestoodinfrontofamicrophoneheconGirmedhisgreatvocalstate.Theconcertended with a long standing ovation that made clear theaudience did not want the artist to leave the stage. Onethingiscertain:JoséCuraconGirmedthatheisagreatartistandsucceededincreatingacompletelyrelaxedatmosphere

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forbothorchestraandaudiencethroughhispersonality.ToMaestroJoséCura:thankyouforthismusicalfeast. Presto,November2014

Monte Carlo:With two good hours of ‘Argentine Songs’ theformer student from the choir at the Colón Theater ofBuenosAires literallycastaspellontheaudience.Noneedto understand José Cura; it was enough to let his affectscarry you away in the poetic universe of the Argentiniantenor. This recital closed beautifully with a brilliant andoverwhelminglyheartfelt interpretationof the “CanciondelaBandera,” the“SongtotheFlag”byHectorPanizza.Twoencores were welcomed by the standing ovations of aconqueredaudience.Musicologie,December2014

Vilnius:ThefamousArgentiniantenorJoséCuraNewYear’sconcert at the Lithuanian National Opera and BalletTheater was full of the unexpected. After the orchestralintroductiontoRuggeroLeoncavallo'sopera‘Pagliacci,’thefamous tenor voicewas heard coming…from the stalls. Hebegan to singas the clownCanio fromhis seatamong theaudience.Afterafewphraseshestooduptogotothestage,but even here he improvised when he took the hand of alittlegirlwholedhimfromtheaudience,anunexpectedbutimportantrolewithwhichthestarbegantheconcert.Fromthestart,theso-calledfourthwallseparatingtheactorfromthe audiencewas broken,with the famous tenor and evencleverer director delicately creating an informalatmosphere equal toa rockor jazz concert. Even themostdemandingtastesofmusicfanscouldnotbefoundwantingconsidering the selection and quality of the programmedworks, which met the highest classical standards. Calaf’sfabulous aria “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s ‘Turandot’completed the fantastic evening. José Cura’s inspirationalarch,charismaandhumanwarmthradiatedandcreatedaNewYear’seveningatmosphere thatwas free, sincere,and

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extraordinary. A postmodern New Year’s Opera Party.Lrytas,January2015

2015

Performance year 2015 was marked by a truly internationalfootprintasJoséCuratraveledfromEuropetoSouthAmericanandontoAsiatobringhisartistrytoaworld-wideaudience.

It takes supreme conIidence and artistic Ilexibility to step offthe opera stage and leave behind the formal techniquenecessary to navigate the classical repertoire, to adaptseamlessly to a world as different from structured classicalmusic as eclectic pop and emotive musical theater and stillclaimvictory.JoséCuradidjustthatattheBudapestArenaforaneveningofmusicmakingthattranscendedlabelsandendedinanecstaticjamsessionthathadtheaudienceonitsfeet.CurafollowedhisBudapest concertwith a recital in LisbonbeforereturningtoHungaryforasensationalclassicalmusicconcertinGyor.

Budapest: José Cura appears and surprise! Close your eyesand he sings the Beatles and John Lennon and all sorts ofenchantingduetswithAndreaMahóandtheheartGills.TheArgentinian opera singer easily enchants. The tears Glow.Andafantastic,humorouspersonalityisondisplayaswell—once he talks about the key needed to leave the hotel,anotherheasksAndreahowmanytimesshewillchangeherclothes.He is likenooneelse.This iswhat Iexpected fromtheevening,wonderfulmomentsthatmakeyouforgetallofyourtroublesandproblems.SikerAdo,February2015

Budapest:JoséCura’smainGieldisclassicalmusicyetwithinthis crossover performance he harvested a completesuccess.Theprogramconsistedofwell-knownpartsofsuch

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musicalsas ‘Phantomof theOpera,’ ‘WestSideStory,’ ‘MissSaigon,’ but they performed Beatles songs, too, declaringthem to be classics. Cura greatly enjoyed himself in thisworld of the lighter genre. He toured and dominated thestagewithamicrophone inhishands;walkingamong therowsoftheorchestrawhilehewonderedonthemusicians’performanceandheldthemicrophonetothememphasizingthe individual achievements, which he acknowledged withapplause, and so did the audience. Cura also grabbed theguitarandbroughttheorchestraunderhiscontrolinsuchawaythattheconductorjoinedthemusicians,too.Curatookpart in the joint realization of the concert with humility,sharingthesuccesswithallparticipants.Inadditiontotheexcellent production, the audience could enjoy Cura’shumor, polite gestures, directness and the charisma of hisimpressivepersonality.Wewillneverknowhowmuchwasimprovisedandhowmanyoftheelementsweredirectedinadvance,butitiscertainthatspontaneityalsohadamajorrole in it. Thus José Cura conquered the audience.Hetedhethatar,February2015

Budapest:Itwasamazingtoseethatthereisanartistwithversatile abilities among opera singers, often imagined asstiffperformers.ThistimeJoséCurashowedtheHungarianaudience how the popular music of our time could beinterpreted by an opera singer who possesses a classicalmusicaleducation.CurabeautifullysangnotonlyPuccini’s“Nessun dorma” but he picked up his guitar with greatconGidence to evoke the popular songs of Beatles.“Yesterday” and “Imagine” brought tears to the eyes ofmanypeople.Thesamehappenedwiththeduetforthesong“Tonight” from ‘West Side Story.’ The encore came, despitethefactthatonlyminutesearlierCurahadpulledthecablefromhisguitarandcarriedtheinstrumentonhisshoulderwhileheleftthestage—ofcoursehedidallthisforthesakeof the show, because humor was also a constant guestduring the evening. Those who were there were not

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disappointed. You could see smiling people leaving theconcert,olderandyoungeronesequallywhohadonethingincommon:eachofthemhadbeeninloveonce,sotheyallcould feel what this unforgettable compilation was about.Vivalamusical,February2015

Budapest:The starguestof thenight, JoséCura,appeared.HisvoicerangoutGirstinasolo,“EternalFlames,”asongbytheBangles sungwitha funnyEnglishaccent and thenhesangtheduet“Tonight”from‘WestSideStory’withAndreaMahó. The Argentinian opera singer proved his directnessand professionalism within the very Girst minutes. SongssungwithCura’stenorvoicewonnewinterpretations;inhisperformancethesesongswereput inadifferent light thanthosewhichwealreadyknew.CuraalsosangthreesongsinSpanish, his own language: thus he brought that speciGic,genuine southern temperament to Hungary, lifting theaudienceout of our typical pessimistic attitude. Cura livedonthestagewithaguitarandforawhilewithadrum,too,whenhelaterperformedthree“classic”songs,ashecalledthem: “Yesterday,” “Let It Be,” and “Imagine” from theBeatles and John Lennon. With “Nessun dorma,” theaudience heard what José Cura is widely known for. Hisperformance was easy, relaxed, and free from anymannerism, and what is more important: he made theopera genre accessible and enjoyable for everyone. TheMahó-CuraCrossoverevening—theConcertofFaithasCuracalled it—was spent in the spirit of internationality andmultilingualism,passionandlove,which—evenifforabriefhour and a half—noticeablymade the audience think andremoved the audience from their apathetic, self-centeredviewoflife.Prae,March2015

Budapest:ThencomesJoséCuraandthestageexplodes.He’sa real professionalwith remarkably constant contactwithviewers.Theaudiencegavethankswithastandingovation.Súgópéldány,February2015

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Recital, Lisbon: Tenor José Cura interpreted "E lucevan lestelle" by Puccini and also recited and sang Pablo Nerudawith"Pensémorir"andCarlosGuastavinowith"Larosayelsauce".Andheendedwiththeexciting"SongtotheFlag"byHector Panizza. The audience enthusiastically applaudedtheartist.FundaciónProdis,April2015

Gyor: José Cura, who is always able to get close to theaudiencefromtheGirstmoment,walkedintothearenafromthesidewhilesingingthe ‘Pagliacci’Prologue.OnceonthestagehesangandalsoconductedthetheGyőrPhilharmonicOrchestra—as Cura conducted, the orchestra soared.Whatever José Cura did, whatever he sang, it was alwayshonest and heartfelt. Otello's deep pain passed over us asdidAlfred'sconquestwhenhewonVioletta(AndreaRost)in‘Traviata.’ And of course there was brilliant singing andmusic.InfoVilág,May2015

Cura ended the year as Canio in Bratislava and Mario inMannheim,butperhapsmostexcitingofallwastheconcertinPrague, where he had just been announced as Artist inResidence,inwhichhedebutedthesongcyclehecomposedonaseriesofpoemsbyPabloNeruda.

Prague: There was a great success this evening at thePragueMunicipalHousewiththemusical-literarydrama“IfIdie,Surviveme!”whoseauthoristhefamousArgentiniantenorJoséCura.Thesongswerecomposedonthemesfromthe lifeofChileanpoetPabloNeruda.Curasang thepoet’svoiceinSpanishwhiletheroleofthewriter’swife,Matilda,wasrecitedbyZlataAdamovská.CuraandAdamovskábothhad colds. Even so, both artists fulGilled the assigned roleandharvestedappreciativeapplauseandexpansivebravosat the end of the twenty-minute long song cycle. CeskeNoviny,October2015

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2016

Through the Iirst half of the year Cura balanced singingopportunitieswithahostof other skills. InFebruary,he tookon the role of conductor, chorus master, and composer inPrague as Artist in Residence in an ambitious programfeaturinghisMagniVicat(“extraordinarysuccess,”Novinky)aswell as Rachmaninov’s Vigil for mixed choir a capella op. 37(“literally an experience… unusually lively and plastic,”OperaPlus)beforeendingwiththetoweringSymphonyNo2inE Minor, Op 27, again by Rachmaninov (“beautiful integritywith a natural and pure musicality rarely heard,”OperaPlus). He followed the extraordinary concert with amaster class for young Czech singers (a concert featuringseveral of the students took place in October). In March, hepairedhisMagniVicatwithBach’s in an extraordinary concertinČeskéBudějovice.InApril,CuraconductedOtello inasemi-stage production (set and direction also by Cura) in Györ,Hungary, in the5500seatAudiAuditorium;Cura Iinished theIirst half of the year at the 67th Dubrovnik Summer Festival,performingattheopeningceremonyasaconductorandsingerand then the next day appearing in front of St. Blaise in fullgloryas tenorand Iinallypresentinghisbookofphotography,Espontáneas,aspartofthefestivalprogram.

InOctober,CurareturnedtoPraguefortwospecialconcertsinhisroleasArtistinResidence—hejoinedselectstudentsfromhisFebruarymasterclass toperformwithhimonstage in theSmetana Concert Hall. He traveled to Dresden to reprise hisroleasMarioCavaradossiinalimitedrun,thentoSaarbrukenforasold-outconcertfeaturingSouthAmericanmusic,andontoLuxemburgforyetanothernightofmusicmaking.

Saarbruken: The Matinee Concert of the GermanRadiophilharmonie in the Congresshalle Saarbrücken wassold out but onewould never have expected to experience

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the international star José Cura, and even more beautifulwas that the DRP managed to obligate this exceptionaltenor for a concert of South American music, includingworks by (the artist) himself. José Cura, acclaimed as anoperatictenoronthemajorstagesoftheworld,isnotonlyasinger but has also studied composition and conducting.Andhehasthetalenttobeabletotalkwithhisaudienceina very personable manner, which he demonstrated at theSaarbrücken concert. His great voice unfolded in rarelyheard sounds of beauty and intensity in piano, thenblossomed into room-Gilling expressiveness (marvel at thearia "Alta en el cielo" from Panizza Opera ‘Aurora’) whichwowedtheaudience.Curabidfarewelltotheaudiencewithamuchapplaudedencore.KulturundSport,November2016

2017

Calendar year 2017 spotlighted Cura as composer, conductor,and tenor when he returned to Prague. After conducting aprogramwhichincludedErikSatie’sGymnopédieandOttorinoRespighi’sChurchWindows,hethensteppedfromthepodiumfortheworldpremiereofhisoratorioEcceHomo, inwhichhesangthecentralroleofChrist.

Prague: The Argentinian singer, conductor and composerJoséCuraselectedPragueasthesiteoftheworldpremiereofhisoratorio‘EcceHomo.’It’snotsosurprisingsinceCurais this season’s artist in residence with the SymphonyOrchestra, plus thePragueaudiencehasadoredhim sincehisGirstsingingconcertshereyearsago.OnWednesdayandThursday theaudience in thesold-outSmetanaHallat theMunicipal House witnessed two evenings where Curaexcelledinallareasofhisactivity.NotonlyintheGirsthalfof the program when he conducted the Prague Symphony

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but also in the second half with his oratorio when hestepped out with the other soloists, two choirs and therecorded voice of a reciter. The audience response wastremendousandespeciallyforCura.Novinsky,March2017

Returning to Prague for his second concert of the year, Curaconducted the Iirst half of the evening (‘Modus,’ a workcomposedbyCuraforthePragueSymphonyChoir,andJoaquinRodrigo’s ‘ConciertodeAranjuez’) and then stepped from thepodium to serve as soloist for his symphonic adaptations ofArielRamirez’s‘MisaCriolla’and‘NavidadNuestra.’

Prague: Argentinian singer, conductor, and composer JoséCuratwiceofferedaprogrammadeupof listeninggems—two masses from the Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez.‘Misa Criolla’ and ‘Navidad Nuestra’ were featured in thepremier of Cura’s symphonic adaption and with Curaserving as soloist. The audience’s responsewas great andthe performers repeatedly celebrated. Novinky, October2017

Prague:Iapproachedthesymphonicversionof‘MisaCriolla’and ‘NavidadNuestra’withskepticism; JoséCura,however,orchestrated the twoworkswith extraordinary respect forthe original, without signiGicant interventions in thecomposition, and the symphonic version supportedeverything that was most important. The solo part wastaken by José Cura. Voice and technique permitted thesoloist to create the Ginest nuances on his side. Thus, thework could breathe the whole range of moods fromimmediate joy (Gloria), through relentless insistence(Credo)orpain(Kyrie)toultimatepeace(Agnusdei).Curanever slippedwith an inexperienced pen (as a composer),and his performance remained earnest and sincere. AChristmas story set in an Argentine environment—such isthe narrative of “Navidad Nuestra.” It has six parts (theAnnunciation,Nativity,Shepherds,Wandering,Threekings,Escape) which, like the previous number, correspond to

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Argentine dance. Again, it was a vigorous and soulfulperformance in which the choir, the soloist and theorchestra were well understood. And José Cura’sperformance proved that a better soloist, in which thenecessary singing qualities and natural spontaneity cametogether,wouldbehard to Gind.Therewasnothing else toexpect fromtheArgentiniantenoroftheworld level.OperaPlus,October2017

In lateOctober, JoséCura tookpart in aCharityConcert inStPetersburg, receiving the Onegin Award based on his career-spanning creative collaborative relationshipwithRussia. Curais the Iirst non-Russian artist to receive the statuette of"Onegin,"thisonewiththemotto"FromRussiawithlove."

2018

José Cura started 2018 in concert, starring in a sold-out galaNew Year’s Concert in Warsaw featuring a Iinely curatedprogram of arias, Spanish songs, and modern pop classicswhichendedinastandingovation.

Warsaw: The audience gathered in the NationalPhilharmonic did not hide their admiration with the NewYear's Concert organizedby theMazovianMusicalTheaterin Warsaw; before the start of the concert outside thePhilharmonic there were numerous people with cards: "IwillbuyaticketforJoséCura."Thestaroftheevening,theArgentinian tenor José Cura, was awarded a standingovationfortheoutstandingperformanceofthearia"Nessundorma." Known mainly for the classical repertoire, Curasurprised the audience by singing Paul McCartney's hit"Yesterday" and very important Spanish songs. The NewYear's Concert exceeded the boldest expectations of theorganizer.E-teatr,January2018

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Curaalso completed two conductinggigs inMarch. InPraguehe offered a colorful, impressionistic evening with music ofDebussyandRavelandinBudapesthepresentedafullslateofhiscompositions,includingModus,MagniVicat,andEcceHomo.In Dresden, he offered a matinee performance of SouthAmericanlieder.

Dresden:WelcometoGermany!JoséCurashakeshisheadinamazement. "HereweworkonSundayat11clock."Even ifthetimeisunusualforhim,heisimmediatelyfullythere,inthemusic.TheArgentinian tenor, indemandworldwide, isin the Semperoper with his "wonderful friends," theDresdner Kapellsolisten, in an acclaimed matinee. Curaleads the performance, gives sensitive performances andthen rolls out the sound carpet as a conductorhimself.Hesings of pampas grass and mother of pearl in the wind,becomes a Glower gardener out of love, yearns for waterlilies and purple fuchsia. With charisma and impressivestage presence, he comments in English throughout themorning.Hisvoicecandoanything:itwhispersandrevels,isfulloflonginganddrama,istenderandmelancholy,boldandcheerful.Curasingsself-composedsongstohisbeloved,followingthepoeticlyricsbyPabloNeruda.Theytellofthegentlenessofalove,thehappinessofloyaltyandthegriefofabandonment.CuraboastsoftherichnessofArgentinefolkandartmusic.WhatforGermansisSchubertorSchumannare for him are compositions by Hilde Herrera or CarlosGustavino.Heseeshimselfasaculturalambassadorofhishomeland.SZ-Online,May2018

Dresden:TheSemperoperwasvirtuallyfulltowelcomeJoséCura who was singing, conducting and had arranged thesongs so this certainly felt like a one-man show. For theconcertCurachosesomethirtysongsfromthepensofsevenArgentine composers working in the twentieth-century.Cura also included three of his own compositions. AfterlivinginEuropefornearlythirtyyearsthisismusictowhich

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Curafeelsinexorablyconnected,whichservesasatributetothe legacy of his Argentine heritage and he sings it withnoticeable love, tenderness and passion that all feels soauthentic.MyhighlightwasthetenderGuastavinosong‘Seequivocolapalomo’beautifullyperformedwithasuresenseoflonging.Striking,too,wasMariaElenaWalsh’s‘Postaldeguerra’with its light, delicate stringwriting and strongerwindaccompaniment.HereCurawasinstrikingvoicewitha song that required a range from very soft to his highregisterallnegotiatedwith comparative ease.Asanartistof rare talent, the multi-talented José Cura didn’tdisappoint.SeenandHeardInternational,May2018

For thesummerseason, inaddition toconductingconcerts inPrague (andhis stagingof ‘Nabucco’),Curaappeared in threeimportantmusicfestivals:Zagreb,Veszprém,andTokaj.

Zagreb:Heisa55year-oldtenor,conductor,director,writer,photographer, humanitarian… a respected, world famousrarity, a dramatic tenor. José Cura is an undoubtedshowman who turns the orchestra space into a stagethroughwhichhemovesnonchalantly.Hereignswithaverybeautiful voice and ultimately wins the evening with theinevitable Calaf aria; he is at his best as the cowboy inPuccini’sFanciulladelwestand,ofcourse,astheincurablyromantic Calaf in the heavenly heights of Turandot.Jutarnjim,July2018

Vesprem:A complete, perfect, generous, entertaining, rich,andupliftingevening…Veol,July2018

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