Artistic Team

Luis Ledesma

Artistic Director

Baritone Luis Ledesma has established a reputation as a "rich and well controlled baritone (Opera News). He frequently portrays the heroes and villains of Puccini, Verdi and the bel canto masters as well as roles in recent new works in Spanish including Florencia en el Amazonas and El pasado nunca se termina. His operatic and concert career has advanced in Europe, the United States and South America and includes theaters such as Teatro alla Scala (Luisa Fernanda), the Liceu in Barcelona (Alphonse in La favorite, Riccardo in I puritani and Marcello in La bohème), Klangbogen Festival in Vienna (Leoncavallo's La bohème), Wexford Festival (Don Pasquale),  Teatro Municipal de Santiago (Escamillo), Semperoper in Dresden (Marcello), several roles for Köln Oper (including Don Carlo and Germont),  Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires (Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia), Bellas Artes in Mexico City (Marcello, Germont, and Escamillo ), Macau Festival (Sharpless),  Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos (Marcello), Graz Oper (Escamillo), L’opera de Montreal (Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West), Manitoba Opera (Escamillo), Opera Lyra Ottawa (Tonio), the Philadelphia Orchestra (Marcello in a concert version of La boheme and Beethoven Nine) and the Savonlinna Opera Festival (Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Escamillo), Bucharest National Opera (Scarpia) and Hungarian State Opera (Alfio and Tonio).

In the United States, Mr. Ledesma has sung with many companies, including Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, Arizona Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Santa Barbara Opera, Anchorage Opera, Santo Domingo, Madison Opera, Nashville Opera, Portland Opera, Indianapolis and Connecticut Opera, Opera Pacific, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Carolina, Memphis Opera, San Antonio Opera, New Jersey Opera, Minnesota Opera, Florentine Opera, and Hawaii Opera. He also sang two tours with Andrea Bocelli, performing in famous venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, Hard Rock Café in Hollywood, Florida, and the Auditorio Nacional Mexico City.

Mr. Ledesma made his Carnegie Hall debut in the Faure Requiem and returned for Dvorak’s Te Deum. He has sung Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Mann Music Center with The Philadelphia Orchestra and with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.  He has performed a variety of orchestral repertoire including Mozart's Coronation Mass, Orff's Carmina Burana with the  Louisville Orchestra, a series of Christmas concerts in Hannover with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and a Verdi concert presented in Die Alte Opera Frankfurt. He also performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the Filarmonica de Jalisco and Gala concerts with Tampa Opera and with Festival Cultural Zacatecas, and a solo with Festival Classique des Hautes-Laurentides in Mont-Tremblant, Canada. His concert performances include La bohème (Marcello) at the Vail Festival and the Mann Music Center with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Handel’s Messiah in Spain with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Asturias.

Danielle Orlando

Musical Director

Danielle Orlando is an accompanist to international opera singers and a vocal coach and artistic consultant to prestigious musical organizations throughout the world. She has appeared with esteemed singers in such venues as the Phillips Collection, Théatre du Châtelet, and Carnegie Hall; and for the United States Supreme Court, the Schubert Club, Vocal Arts D.C., Music at the Morgan Library, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and many many more. She also appears in the documentary The Audition. Ms. Orlando has performed recitals for the Harriman-Jewell Series and has appeared at the Florida Opera and Astoria Music festivals, Festival Castell de Peralada (Spain), and Festival International Hautes-Laurentides (Canada).

Ms. Orlando served as accompanist, judge, and artistic coordinator for the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competitions and worked with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Festival dei Due Mondi for nine seasons. She was the artistic administrator and head of music staff for the Opera Company of Philadelphia and has served on the music staffs of the Metropolitan, Washington National, and San Francisco operas; Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires; Dresden Semperoper; and Savonlinna Opera Festival.

Ms. Orlando is a guest judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a guest coach for the Domingo-Cafritz and Palm Beach young artist programs. Recent residencies include Curtis Summerfest, the University of Tennessee—Knoxville, and the Peking University Academy of Opera in Beijing. She lead master classes at  the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in Summer 2018.

Ms. Orlando holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Temple University, where she studied with Harvey Wedeen and Lambert Orkis. She also studied at the Eastman School of Music with David Burge. Ms. Orlando joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 1986, and is also master coach at the Academy of Vocal Arts.

Allen Gomez

Conductor, Carmen

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Maestro Allen Gómez began his music studies a four years of age at the Cabañas Cultural Institute, where he learnt to play all the baroque flutes.

Medium professional in music (4 years) with specialty in Transverse Flute under the tutelage of Christanne Nazzi, and a Bachelor's degree in music (4 years) with a specialty in singing, under the tutelage of Enrique Suárez Mason and Flavio Becerra.

He has taken personal courses with great directors and workshops direction at Juilliard School, and obtained a scholarship to study a postgraduate degree (1 year) in the Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, studying singing with Enric Serra and Orchestral Direction with Antoni Ros Marbá and Manel Maldivieso.

Teaching and University Experience
Eighteen years of experience at the Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Guadalajara, where he has obtained various awards for his work of excellence being among the three best teachers in the entire Mexican Republic in its area. In charge of linking the University to the professional world of Music, creating spaces for coexistence of great singers and musicians interacting with the students.

Scholarships and Albums
Winner of scholarships as a performer from the State Council for the Culture and the Arts (CECA), the University of Guadalajara, and the State fund for culture and the arts. (FECA). He has created more than ten albums as a singer and director, being “De Pulmón al Alma” the most recent with the collaboration of musicians from all over the world, including The Camerata from Buenos Aires and The Mariachi Vargas,

Director and Producer experience
The Magic Flute (Mozart), La Traviata (Verdi), Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti), Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni), Carmen (Bizet), Gianni Schicchi (Puccini), The Elixir of Love (Donizetti), Carmina Burana (Orff), Messiah (Handel), Requiem (Mozart), Stabat Mater (Rossini), The Creole Mass (Ramírez), The Merry Widow (Lehar), La Verbena de la paloma (Breton), Cats (Weber), Aida (Elton John), West Side Story (Bernstein), among many others.

Premieres
In each concert season he regularly premieres works by Mexican composers. He has also premiered work in the Opera Music World such as The King was Born (Gonzalez Moya) premiere in Mexico of Pilgrimage Tales (Armienta), Legacy to Fray Antonio Alcalde (work of his authorship). He has worked on several occasions with the INBA Fine Arts Opera Orchestra and Opera from Bellas Artes Choir. 

Artistic Director Experience
He has been the Director and Founder of the Chamber Orchestra from Zapopan since 2016. Regularly invited to guest conduct at various orchestras from Mexico and abroad such as Sinaloa Orchestra of the Arts, Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata de Coahuila, Zacatecas Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the National Conservatory of Music, University Orchestra of Guadalajara, and the Serbian National Orchestra, among others.

He has participated at Festivals in Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, North America, Russia, Switzerland, Austria and Spain, Serbia, directing and singing Mexican music.

In 2016 he debuted in San José California with the Opera Rio de Mujeres (Armienta) conducting the Orchestra and the company of Opera Cultura, in the United States of America. 

He has directed great singers such as Plácido Domingo, Arturo Chacón, Nancy Fabiola Herrera, Veronica Villaroel, Amelia Font, Ainhoa ​​Arteta, Sumi Jo, among many others.

He has composed music for theater (Títeres de cachiporra de García Lorca) and Cinema (Agápimu by Jaime Humberto Hermosillo); Songs from Lecumberri (Luis Gonzalez de Alba) “Mayor the “musical” cycle of Lied from Lorca and is currently composing the Opera “José Clemente Orozco the Man of Fire”.

He was Plácido Domingo’s first Musical Director in the closing concert of the First International Zarzuela Festival for the world in 2019 and 2021.

He was Founder and Artistic Director of the Opera Studio Beckmann and of the International Mexican Viceregal Music Festival, and a regular guest at the International encounter of Mariachis in the Orchestra Galas. 
 
He is currently preparing a 2024 tour through Europe, presenting music from Mexican composers.

Manuel Mario Castillo Sapién

Conductor, Don Giovanni

Manuel Mario Castillo Sapién is an accomplished and multifaceted musician, passionate about singing, conducting, producing, and entrepreneurship. Throughout his career, Manuel has graced stages across America, Europe, and Asia, including performances in Spain, Italy, Denmark, China, and special events like those for Cartier Jewelry in Mexico and the USA World Equestrian Games of 2010. His tenor timbre has captivated audiences with enchanting renditions of Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème in Rome, Italy, and Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette in the USA. Noteworthy performances include his portrayal of Alfred in Die Fledermaus at Opera Festival di Roma and a memorable rendition of ll Messaggero in Aida during the fond farewell of the legendary conductor, Maestro Anton Coppola, at Opera Tampa.

Manuel is grateful for the guidance and mentorship of esteemed figures in the music world, including Dr. Everett McCorvey, Cynthia Lawrence, Dr. Harlan Snow, and Dr. Ricky Little. His dedication to continuous growth has led him to perfect his singing craft with luminaries such as Sherrill Milnes, Diana Soviero, Grace Bumbry, and Donnie Ray Albert. Manuel’s passion for music also shines through his talent as an accomplished conductor. His mentors include Maestro Pedro Bocotán (RUM), José Guadalupe Flores (MEX), and Leonardo Gasparini (ITA). Manuel has had success leading performances of Puccini’s operas such as Suor Angelica and La Bohème in Guadalajara and Chihuahua, as well as several choral works by Mozart and Handel with the Academic Choir of the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua.

Beyond his performance career, Manuel is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians, providing aspiring vocalists with a platform to showcase their talent and pursue their dreams. He has spearheaded numerous initiatives to support young talent, including the creation of festivals and masterclasses in instrumental conducting and voice. Notably, he organized the First Vocal Competition in May 2022 for the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, and the International Music Festival for Opera Guadalajara.

His conducting repertoire includes non-traditional productions such as Shrek: The Musical and Como Nanita Aprendió a Hacer Flan, showcasing his versatility and innovative approach to performance. Moreover, Manuel toured with UACH Academic Choir in Puebla, Monterrey, Guanajuato, and San Luis Potosí; collaborated with the Symphonic Rock, Symphonic Gamer, and La Ciudad del Jazz projects alongside Ad Libitum Band, Orquesta Filarmónica de Chihuahua, Orquesta Sinfónica de Chihuahua, and Chihuahua Big Band. Most recently, this past march Manuel was the soloist in Handel’s Messiah at Calvary United Methodist in Annapolis, MD, and presented a series of Vocal Masterclasses at Florida Atlantic University and Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez in April.

Manuel's journey in music education began in Guadalajara, his hometown, and he further honed his skills during his time in the United States, where he earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Morehead State University. He continued his academic pursuits, obtaining his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky. From 2017-2023, Manuel served as the head of the Voice Department at the Facultad de Artes of the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, overseeing the Master Program in Voice, maintaining a vibrant voice studio, and conducting the Academic Choir.

Manuel is excited for his conducting debut of Mozart’s Don Giovanni and looks forward to continuing to share his unwavering passion and commitment to music education through his music. He hopes to leave a lasting impact on the global music community.

Didier Otaola

Stage Director, Carmen

Didier Otaola was born in Madrid (Spain), raised in Asturias, from a family of artists. He works as an actor / singer / stage director and coach for lyric singers. He is artistic director and founder of ensamblelírico360 (Performance and creation laboratories for lyric singers at international level). He studied Stage Direction at RESAD. He trained in dramatic art at BULULU 2120 (actors and directors studio) with Antonio Malonda. He studied singing with: Ricardo Muñiz, Carmen González, María Mendizábal and José Masegosa. He has participated in countless masterclasses and specialization workshops, including: Will Keen, José Carlos Plaza, Fernando Piernas, Àlex Rigola, Pablo Messiez and Andrés Lima.

As stage director he has premiered since July 2023 in Mexico La Bohème, La Serva Padrona, La Dolorosa, La Tabernera del Puerto, La Verbena de la Paloma and Juicio a Don Juan. In Spain he has been working as stage director since 2012 and has performed many titles. Stage directing for Teatro Lírico (Zarzuela) at the Festival Lírico de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the following productions: La Leyenda del Beso, Las Leandras, La Del Manojo de Rosas, El Huésped del Sevillano, Katiuska, La Montería, Los Gavilanes, Alma de Dios, La Rosa del Azafrán, La del Soto del Parral and La Tabernera del Puerto.

In musical theater he has directed: Los Viajeros del Tiempo (Family Musical). He has co-directed El Fantasma de la Ópera and La Noche de San Juan (Musical). He is Artistic Director of KATUM TEATRO, a theater company with which he has produced several productions: La Casa de la Cupletista, Theatre uncut, Juicio a Don Juan (Festival de Teatro Clásico de Almagro), Cuentagesto, #KómoSerRocíoJurado, Fiesta Kastiza, Antología de Zarzuela y Un Chasquido de Cuplé, Sor Juana o Ser Juan and Levantamiento de Heroínas.

He has been working as a professional in the performing arts for more than twenty-two years. He has learned with the best stage directors and musical directors, being in all Spanish national theaters. He has worked in different Spanish TV series and has made independent CINEMA. As an actor / lyric singer, comic tenor, he has performed several roles in the Teatro de la Zarzuela with La del Soto del Parral, La Verbena de la Paloma, La Marchenera, La Tabernera del Puerto and Luisa Fernanda. Actor in the Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico with El Curioso Impertinente and El Pintor De Su Deshonra, and  as Actor / Singer in Centro Dramático Nacional in El Jardín de los Cerezos and Aquiles y Pentesilea.

Arturo Rodríguez Torres

Stage Director, Don Giovanni

Mexican opera producer, stage director, performer and lecturer, founder of Compañía Ópera de México. He has worked with 35 conductors, 23 orchestras and 24 stage directors at major international theaters and festivals in 24 states across the country, including more than 50 performances in 12 productions as principal soloist with the National Opera Company at the Palacio de Fine Arts. 

He has participated as a solo singer in more than 1,300 performances in 46 operas, zarzuelas, symphonic works and musical comedy, among which the following stand out: La Traviata, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana, Tosca, La Bohème, Manon Lescaut, Sour Angelica, Turandot, Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte, L'elisir d'amore, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Pasquale, Il prigionero, La rappresentazione di anima di corpo, La serva padrona, Un ballo in maschera, Hänsel und Gretel, Die Zauberflöte, Die Fledermaus, Komödie auf Der Brüke, Bastien und Bastienne, Boris Godunov, Carmen, Manon, Les contes d'Hoffmann, L'enfant et les sortiléges, Candide, Amahl and The Night Visitors, Dido and Aeneas, Luisa Fernanda, The altarpiece of Maese Pedro, Marina, Don Gil de Alcalá and the barber of Lavapiés. Likewise, Carmina Burana, Requiem (Verdi | Mozart | Fauré), Kronnungs Messe, Brevis Messe, Stabat Mater, Misa de Santa Cecilia, and Die Hohe Messe in H-dur. In addition, he participated for four years as a singer and actor in musicals Beauty and the Beast, The Phantom of the Opera, and Jesus Christ Superstar with the company “OCESA Presenta” at the Orfeón and Telmex theaters.

He has been stage director and/or producer of 18 operas: Carmen, La Traviata, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana, Madame Butterfly, La Bohème, Sour Angelica, La serva padrona, Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, Don Pasquale, L'elisir d 'amore, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Amahl and The Night Visitors, Dido and Aeneas, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Fledermaus, and Luisa Fernanda in 24 cities and states in the country.

In 2023 he performed the stage production and direction of the operas Sour Angelica, La Traviata, and Die Zauberflöte at the Zapopan Opera Festival in Jalisco, as well as the production and artistic-stage direction of the opera Don Giovanni for the 66th anniversary of the University Autonomous University of Coahuila and for the Autonomous University of the West, in Sinaloa.

Graduated with honorable mention from the Master's Degree in Musical Performance and the Bachelor's Degree in Music from the Faculty of Music of the UNAM. Honored by the cultural secretariats and institutes of the states of Durango, Coahuila, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas for his artistic and teaching career. Spokesperson for the Royal Opera House at Cinemex in two seasons. Winner of the Award for Teaching Merit in Higher Education by the mayor of the city of Saltillo, Coahuila. He received two UNAM Medals in recognition of his 10 and 15 years of teaching and artistic work. Recipient of the “Miguel Ramos Arizpe” Medal for Academic Merit and the recognition of Academic Merit at the UA de C. He won three awards for the “Opera for all” campaign awarded by the Círculo Creativo de México. He is currently Deputy Coordinator of Artistic Education, director of the Lobos University Choir and the Opera Workshop of the Autonomous University of Coahuila in the General Coordination of Diffusion and Cultural Heritage.

Andrea Alonso

Assistant Director, Carmen

Andrea Alonso is an actress and theater producer from the city of Morelia, Michoacán. She is part of the group "Ataráscate Teatro" and is a co-founder of the GirasolEscénico collective. She is currently performing in the play Mientras el mundo respira and producing Bailaré contigo en Berlín. She has participated in various productions such as Don Juan Charrasqueado, Quién se queda con el“#$& gato, La lotería, and La nave, among others.

She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Theater (2019) from the Facultad Popular de Bellas Artes (FPBA) of the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (UMSNH). She also graduated from the Centro de Educación Artística (CEDART) with a specialization in Theater (2015). She participated in the multi-disciplinary project Corazón de alas abiertas, supported by FONCA.

Daniel Marcos Rodríguez

Assistant Conductor

Daniel Marcos Rodríguez is an orchestral and opera conductor. He began conducting in high school at sixteen years old under the tutelage of Dr. Adalberto Yanes in Miami, FL. Daniel continued his musical endeavors at Florida International University where he concentrated in voice, opera, and music education. He embarked to further sharpen his skills at Miguel Harth-Bedoya's Conducting Institute for three consecutive years. Consequently, Daniel was accepted as a conducting fellow in numerous workshops, most recently with the Chamber Orchestra of New York, where he received an Honorable Mention for the Respighi Prize in Conducting, and the London Conducting Workshop.

Daniel made his operatic debut with Opera Orlando as their Associate Conductor in 2022 with a production of Die Zauberflöte. He was invited to return for the 2023–2024 season where he contributed to productions of Tosca, Frida, Lucia di Lammermoor, and will be a part of the third-ever production of Philip Glass’s and Robert Moran's The Juniper Tree.

Daniel’s musical quest remains to be an effective conductor who truthfully communicates the genius of the composers to awaken deeper empathy within himself and the musicians he leads, while creating more access for all audiences to be impacted by the power of classical music.