Jose Simerilla Romero tenor
Praised for his "power, passion, and lyrical finesse" (Opera Magazine) and “ample voice of arrested quality” (Opera News), in the 2022/23 season, rising young Argentinian-Spanish-American tenor Jose Simerilla Romero joins the Nederlandse Reisopera as Rodolfo in La bohéme, makes his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut as Jaquino in Fidelio under the baton of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, sings the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto in his Florida Grand Opera debut, makes his San Francisco Symphony debut singing the role of the Shepherd in Oedipus Rex led by Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen, joins Opera Festival of Chicago singing Corrado in Il Corsaro, and is stepping in last minute to sing the role of Rodolfo with the 2022 Grand Teton Music Festival in a semi-staged version of La bohème. In addition, Mr. Romero makes his Komische Oper Berlin debut as Laërte in Hamlet, and also joins the ensemble of Staatsoper Hannover where his roles will include Rodolfo in La bohéme, Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, and Prince Gwidon in Zar Saltan.
Last season he joined both Nederlandse Reisopera and First Coast Opera as Alfredo in their production of La traviata, and joined the studio of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet where his roles included Wagner and Nereo in Mefistofele, the Messenger in Aida, and Boy 1 in Trouble in Tahiti as part of the 2021 Opera Forward Festival, which were all unfortunately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also recently debuted the role of Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore in a coproduction with Opera Zuid, Nederlandse Reisopera, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, and was live-streamed through Opera Vision. He was also engaged as an Apprentice Artist with Santa Fe Opera in their productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, Die Zauberflöte, Tristan und Isolde, Rusalka, and Huang Ruo’s M. Butterfly as well as engaged to sing concerts with soprano Kristin Opolais with the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and the Polska Filharmonia, and sang performances of “Land and Sea” with Tampa Bay Symphony.
Mr. Simerilla Romero is an Award Winner from the Chicago International Music Competition, the Camerata Bardi International Vocal Competition, the Jensen Foundation International Vocal Competition, the Opera Foundation, Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions, the Manhattan International Music Competition, Kyrenia Opera Vocal Competition, Vienna International Music Competition, Berliner International Music Competition, the Vero Beach Opera's "Rising Star" International Competition, the Orpheus Vocal Competition, and the Tampa Bay Symphony Jack Heller Competiton.
He has participated in Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Vocal Academy, the LA Opera Young Artist Program, the Dutch National Opera & Ballet Studio, the Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute, and holds degrees from both Valencia College and Stetson University.