Biography
Mexican-American tenor Edgar Ernesto Ramírez is garnering rave reviews for his distinctive Italianate sound, his youthful exuberance, and for his expressive musicality. Recent and upcoming engagements include Ramiro in LA CENERENTOLA by Rossini in the Wildbad Belcanto Opera Festival, Nemorino in L’ELISIR D’AMORE with Opéra de Angers-Nantes, Javier in LUISA FERNANDA with Toronto Operetta Theatre, Leicester in MARIA STUARDA with Pacific Opera Victoria, Il Conte d'Almaviva in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA for Opera Hamilton and Raoul de Nanguis in Meyerberr's LES HUGUENOTS for Toronto's Opera in Concert, MESSIAH with The Brott Festival in Hamilton, An OPERA GALA with Opera de Quebec. His recent operatic engagements include Nemorino in L’ELISIR D’AMORE and Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA, both with the Sarasota Opera, and Decio in the rarely performed LA VESTALE by Mercadante and Arturo in I PURITANI with Opera in Concert. He has performed Rinuccio in GIANNI SCHICCHI for Santa Barbara Opera and for UCLA, Alfredo with Opera in the Ozarks in Arkansas, Rodolfo in LA BOHEME and Il Conte d’Almaviva in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, both at the Opera Institute of Boston University.
As a young artist at the Opera Institute of Boston University, Ramírez appeared as Lázaro Carriles in the world premiere of BEFORE NIGHT FALLS and he performed other contemporary roles such as Mr. Owen in POSTCARDS FROM MAROCCO and Jonathan Orfeo in HOSTAGE.
Edgar Ernesto Ramírez' activities on the concert stage as a featured soloist include an Opera Gala in Zurich with Francisco Araiza, a concert of operatic favorites with the Brott Festival in Canada, solo performances with the Israeli Opera Studio in Tel-Aviv, an Opera Gala at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, various concerts at the Degollado Theater in Guadalajara, Mexico, a concert with the New West Symphony Young Artists with Maestro Boris Brott, Boston Pops Opening Night with Maestro Keith Lockhart and with the Boston Lyric Opera in their concert series. Ramírez was also invited to sing at The 150th Gala Anniversary of Puccini hosted by Simonetta Puccini.
Ramírez is the First Place Winner of the Kahn Award Foundation, the Giulio Gari Foundation, The Performing Arts Foundation, the Léni Fé Bland Foundation, the Profant Foundation, and the ORCH Foundation. He has received awards from The Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions in Los Angeles, the Society of Singers Foundation and the New West Symphony Young Artist Prize. The competition Jaume Aragall granted Ramírez with a Public Master Class Prize.
Born in Guadalajara, México, Edgar Ernesto Ramírez was accepted at the early age of fifteen to the University of Guadalajara, where he studied the clarinet.
An accomplished musician, Ramírez played solo clarinet with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jalisco, and appeared as a guest of the Opera Orchestra of Teatro Bellas Artes, the Symphonic Orchestra of Pachuca, and toured with the Naval Symphonic Band and Orchestra. Additionally, he is a member of the International Association of Clarinetists of México.
In 1993 Professor Engelberto Águilar introduced Edgar to the Art of Bel Canto. After completing his music degree in clarinet, Ramírez moved to México City to further his studies of clarinet at the Superior Music School of Bellas Artes and to pursue vocal studies with Baritone Oscar Samano. In 2003 Ramírez relocated to the United States and continued his studies as a tenor. He was a protégé of Baritone Sir Bruno Pola with whom he studied in Switzerland and he has trained with Coach Armen Guzelimian in Los Angeles. In 2008, Ramírez graduated from Boston University’s Opera Institute under the guidance of Soprano Sharon Daniels.
He has studied privately with tenor Jerry Hadley, soprano Maria Spacagna, tenor Piero Giuliacci, vocal coach Joan Dornemann, tenor Francisco Araiza, tenor Raúl Giménez, tenor Jaume Aragall, and mezzo-soprano Elisabetta Fiorillo.