+++
date = "2018-02-26T14:10:00-05:00"
discipline = "Tenor"
lastmod = "2018-02-26T14:10:00-05:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1715537680/Santiago-Ballerini.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Lucas Sánchez."
publishDate = "2018-02-26T14:10:00-05:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/the-atlanta-opera.md","scene/companies/the-dallas-opera.md","scene/companies/the-metropolitan-opera.md"]
slug = "santiago-ballerini"
title = "Santiago Ballerini"
website = "http://santiagoballerini.com/"
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Argentinian/Italian tenor Santiago Ballerini is recognized as one of the leading tenors in the Bel Canto repertoire, having performed at many of the major opera houses throughout North and South America from Opera Nacional de Chile, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Canadian Opera Company, Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Dallas Opera, as well as a long side leading international orchestras and opera houses in Europe such as Teatro Regio Torino, Opéra National du Bordeaux, Teatro Real, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and more. On the concert platform, the tenor performed _Carmina Burana_ with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. under Gianandrea Noseda, and began the 2020-21 season in concert with the Porto Symphony Orchestra in Portugal.

Last season, Ballerini debuted the role of Frederic in _The Pirates of Penzance_ with the Atlanta Opera, as well as his first Duke of Mantua in _Rigoletto_ with Opera San Antonio, a role he reprised in concert with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the Spring of 2022. The tenor began the 2021-22 season with his first Contino Belfiore in _La Finta Giardiniera_ at Teatro Colón, and later made his role and house debut as Alzaga in _The Magic Opal_ at Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid.  

Before starting his professional singing career, Ballerini was a pianist for nine years and studied Music Therapy at the Universidad de Buenos Aires, specializing in addiction treatment. He was a semifinalist in the Francisco Vinas Competition at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and the Argentine Finalist at the Neue Stimmen Competition in Dresden, Germany. He also won First Prize at the Festivals Musicales Competition, American Society Competition and San Juan Opera Competition. In 2014, Ballerini was named Argentina's "Upcoming Opera Singer" by the Congress of Argentina and the Argentine Association of Critics and received a scholarship to study with Sherrill Milnes. In January of 2016, Ballerini was awarded the Grand Prize at the Laguna Magica International Vocal Competition in Chile, receiving invitations to sing Cassio in _Otello_ with the Teatro Argentino and to sing with the Tenerife Opera. 

In the 2019-20 season, Ballerini made his debut at the Canadian Opera Company as Count Almaviva in _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_. He began the season with his return to the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires as Ernesto in _Don Pasquale_, after which he returned to the Atlanta Opera as Count Almaviva. In the 2018-19 season, Ballerini debuted at the Teatro Regio di Torino as Nemorino, a role which he later sang for his debut with Opéra de Toulon. Ballerini then returned to the United States for his debut with Opera Saratoga as Tonio in _La fille du regiment_ and to sing concerts in New York, Savannah and Atlanta. He also appeared at the Teatro Colon, singing Mozart's _Requiem_. In the 2017-18 season, Ballerini made his European debut as Gualtiero in _Il pirata_ at the Opéra National de Bordeaux, after which he appeared for the first time in Bilbao as Ernesto in _Don Pasquale_ and debuted as Tonio at the Atlanta Opera. He also returned to the Teatro Colon as Lindoro in _L'italiana in Algeri_, appeared at the Teatro Nuovo's inaugural festival at SUNY Purchase's Performing Arts Center as Argiro in Tancredi, and sang a concert of arias at the Dallas Opera.

In the 2016-17 season, Ballerini sang Il Tenor Italiano in _Der Rosenkavalier_ at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Don Ramiro in _La Cenerentola_ at the Teatro Argentino, and Ernesto in _Don Pasquale_ at the Atlanta Opera. He also covered the roles of Don Ottavio in _Don Giovanni_ and Count Almaviva in _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_ at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. In July of 2017, Ballerini returned to the Caramoor Festival in New York to sing Gualtiero in Bellini's _Il pirata_ opposite Angela Meade. In the 2015-16 season, he made his acclaimed United States debut at the Caramoor Festival as Fernand in _La Favorite_ and sang the role of Tybalt in The Atlanta Opera's production of _Romeo et Juliette_. After singing the role of Conte di Libenskof in _Il Viaggio a Reims_ at the Teatro Bellas Artes in Mexico City, the tenor returned to the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires to sing Jünge Graf in Zimmerman's _Die Soldaten_.

Other highlights from previous seasons include Nemorino in _L'elisir d'amore_ at the Teatro Solis in Montevideo alongside baritone Erwin Schrott, and performances at the Teatro Colon as the title role in Luigi Nono's _Prometeo_ and Arbace in Mozart's _Idomeneo_. Ballerini also sang Lindoro in _L'italiana in Algeri_ at the Teatro Argentino; Belmonte in _Die entführung aus dem Serail_, Lord Perci in _Anna Bolena_, Gennaro in _Lucrezia Borgia_, Ferrando in _Così fan tutte_, Ernesto in _Don Pasquale_, Alfred in _Die Fledermaus_ and Tebaldo in _I Capuleti e i Montecchi_ at the Teatro Avenida; Don Ottavio in _Don Giovanni_, Romeo and Tybalt in _Romeo et Juliette_ and Jaquino in _Fidelio_ at the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Tamino in _Die Zauberflöte_ at the Teatro Libertador in Cordoba; and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at the Colsubsidio Theatre's re-opening in Bogotá, Colombia.
