Many universities include Spanish art song in standard voice training repertoire, but few offer operatic options en Español. The United States’ Hispanic population is growing rapidly, and it is estimated that by 2050, the US could have more Spanish speakers than any other country. In light of this, integrating more Spanish singing into our university opera programs seems an obvious choice. Zarzuela (sometimes described as Spanish operetta) is an accessible option for schools that wish to add Spanish repertoire to their opera programs.
Ms. Duke was invited to present along with Dr. Paulina Villareal from the University of Memphis, who will be adding commentary on solo songs from zarzuela which are included in popular anthologies of such material.
