Puerto Rican baritone  César A. Méndez Silvagnoli  has been  praised for his dark, velvety voice and strong stage presence. He is a resident of Spain. Future engagements include Moràles in Carmen at the Teatro de la Maestranza, Almanaque in María Moliner at Teatro Campoamor and Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana with Opera de Puerto Rico.  

 

In the 2017-2019 seasons Mr. Méndez was a member of the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo in the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía. During his residency in Valencia, he performed Esteban in La Malquerida, Un Mandarino in Turandot, Buonafede in Il Mondo della Luna and Sciarrone in Tosca.  

 

Other engagements include, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Opera de Oviedo, El padre de Florentina in Marianela at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, Valentin in Faust with St. Petersburg Opera Company and George Benton in  Dead Man Walking  with Opera on the Avalon. 

 

Additional roles include: Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Germont in La traviata, Marcello in La bohème,  José Dolores Pimienta  in the cuban zarzuela  Cecilia Valdés, Felipe  in  La revoltosa, Joaquín in La del manojo de rosas, Vidal in Luisa Fernanda and Benjamin Franklin in the world premiere of Paul Moravec's  The King's Man.   

  

Mr.  Méndez was  awarded the Special Prize “Teatro Nacional de la Zarzuela” to the best zarzuela interpretation in the 58th Concurso Internacional de  Canto “Francisco Viñas".  Other accolades include the First Prize in the  II Concurso Nacional de Canto Ciudad de Albacete; the First Prize, “Ciudad de Sevilla” prize, “Teatro de la Maestranza” prize, "Compañía Sevillana de Zarzuela” prize and the Audience Special prize in the “XVI Certamen Nuevas Voces Ciudad de Sevilla”; the First prize on the “VII Certamen de Zarzuela de Valleseco”; the First prize on the VI Concurso Internacional de Canto “Un Futuro DeArte” de Medinaceli; and the Second Prize and Ópera de Oviedo Prize  on the XXXVII Concurso Internacional de Canto “Ciudad de Logroño”.  In addition César, has been a finalist of the VII Concurso Internacional de Canto Alfredo Kraus and VI Concurso Internacional de Canto “Ópera de Tenerife”. 

 

He has been a Resident Artist with Sarasota Opera, Kentucky Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera. He obtained a Master of Music from the  Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor degree in Voice Performance from the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico.