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The Costa Rican tenor, Esteban José Zúñiga Calderón, began his exploration in the world of opera with cuban tenor Omar Gonzalez in 2007. In 2010, he entered the University of Costa Rica and starts his pre-college formation with tenor Ernesto Rodríguez. Later, after graduating in 2012, he started his undergrad studies with Lic. Franklin Castro Steller, at the National University of Costa Rica, earning his Bachelor of Music degree in 2016, and his Licenciatura in 2018. Later that same year, he moved to New York City, where he got his Master of Music degree in Manhattan School of Music, thanks to a full scholarship granted by this institution, studying voice with Maitland Peters, and later with tenor Neil Rosenshein. There, he was also able to study with several important figures of the world of opera and theater in North America, many of which teach also in the other great conservatories and music schools of the East Coast, such as Juilliard and Yale. Currently (since 2020), he is studying at the University of Oregon, to get his Doctorate in Musical Arts with a Historical Performance Practice specialization, under the supervision of the tenor Eric Mentzel, specialist in Historically Informed Performance and early music.
Esteban Zúñiga has performed several leading and supporting roles in fully staged and orchestrated operas, as well as oratorios and theater plays. He has appeared as Ernesto in G. Donizetti's Don Pasquale, Don Ramiro in G. Rossini's La Cenerentola, Nadir in Georges Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles, Don Ottavio in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Juan Luis in J. Guerrero's El Huesped del Sevillano, and El Poeta in M. García's El Poeta Calculista. His comprimario roles include Dr. Blind in J. Strauss' Die Fledermauss, Don Curzio in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, The First Armored Man and Second Priest in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. As a soloist, he has performed in Camille Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noël, J.S. Bach’s Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) (Both as Evangelist and Tenor Soloist), Der Kaffekantate (BWV 211), Magnificat (BWV 243) and Cantata BWV 7, W.A. Mozart's Requiem, Schubert's Mass in Eb and Auf dem Strom (for Tenor and French Horn) and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. He has also covered the roles of Jason in M.A. Charpentier' Medée and Mr. Hooker in Tobias Picker's Emmeline. He has performed the partial roles of Tamino W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Gerardo in Gianni Schicchi, Ferrando in W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos, Mercury in The Judgement of Paris and Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas. In March 2021, he sang with the University of Oregon Opera Ensemble the role of Oronte in selections from George Frideric Handel's Alcina.
Esteban Zúñiga has also dedicated many years to vocal pedagogy, and has helped singers from all ages to overcome technical problems and accomplish a better and healthier technique and domain of their repertoire. His trajectory as a voice teacher goes back more than 12 years. During that time and currently, he has organized and hosted multiple concerts and recitals for his voice students, in order to help them gain experience and confidence on stage. He has helped an important number of people to enter the world of music and vocal performance, serving as voice teacher, mentor, coach and even accompanist in certain occasions. He has also served as advisor and coach for choruses, ensembles and even rock bands. He currently lives in New York City, New York. |
