Luxury: Jonathan Tetelman inaugurates the AURA series at the Teatro Colón

Charisma, presence, elegance, expression: if you talk about Jonathan Tetelman , one of these nouns will sooner or later come into play. At 37 years old and with a distinguished career behind him, the Chilean-born American tenor arrives at the Teatro Colón on August 17th to inaugurate the AURA series , which brings together four of the most outstanding lyrical voices of our time and is sponsored by Ñ Magazine . Before his visit to the country, Tetelman answers Ñ 's questions about his past, his present, and also some aspects of his future.

Tetelman 's life began far from any of the lyrical centers he usually frequents: he was born in Castro, in southern Chile, and at six months old was adopted by an American couple. The singer says: “I was adopted by a lovely family. My parents were from Brooklyn, New York, and Berkeley, California. I grew up in the Princeton, New Jersey, area, but I didn't have the opportunity to learn Spanish, as my parents were American. They discovered and cultivated my talent with much love and support.”

–What kind of school or vocal tradition did you inherit during your time at academies in your adopted country?

–When I began my professional vocal training, I started as a baritone at the Manhattan School of Music, but after four years, I was told that wasn't the right register for me. I then began my studies as a tenor at the Mannes College of Music. However, I didn't feel I had the qualities, direction, or mindset to become a true tenor. Later, after taking a few years off to pursue a completely different job, as a DJ and nightclub promoter in New York, I was able to reconnect with my passion for singing and focus on developing the tenor version of myself. I was also greatly helped by a teacher in New York who was very inspiring and supportive along the way.

–How was that experience as a DJ?

–It's a very self-directed thing: you have to go out and find your own jobs, bring people to places, and make sure the events are a success. It was a kind of foretaste of what it's like to be a singer. I think it helped me understand that I need to be a partner with my agent, not just a client. Our careers aren't in the hands of agents, they're in ours. I listened to a lot of electronic music from artists like Deadmau 5, Avicii, Chris Lake, and Justice, music that has a lot in common with classical music: a lot of tension and resolution, and sometimes very well-crafted production. Today, my tastes have changed a bit because I have two daughters, so I usually listen to Disney princess songs.

Focusing on Italian music (songs and canzonettas by Tosti, Nino Rota, De Curtis and Cardillo, plus arias by Puccini and Cilea), with the addition of some French (an aria by Massenet) and Spanish (the romance from La tabernera del puerto, by Sorozábal, and the song "Granada", by the Mexican Agustín Lara), the program chosen by Tetelman for his Argentine debut – accompanied by the fabulous Cuban-Mexican pianist Ángel Rodríguez – seeks to be a tribute to his career.

The tenor says: “I wanted to bring you some of the music that has inspired me over the years in my journey as a tenor. It's also a repertoire that many audience members know and love thanks to the great tenors of the past. I'm a great listener of wonderful voices and I want to continue passing on the tradition of this type of lyrical singing.”

–You've mentioned singers like Tebaldi, Gigli, Caruso, Bastianini, and Titta Ruffo as your vocal inspirations. What draws you to them? Do you find certain qualities in singers from the past that are less common today?

–What these singers achieved was connecting their technique and their artistry to communicate the characters and the music. They all had very distinctive voices, and that allowed them to stand out as great artists and singers. I'm afraid that today's career moves so fast that we don't have as much time to develop and curate the roles we present. It's much more difficult to reach the highest levels because so many things are expected of singers at a very young age, and that sometimes overshadows their real abilities in the present. We all need to take the time to truly invest in our roles and our artistry if we want to live up to the greats of the past.

–How do you choose your roles? What does a character need to be like for you to want to play them?

–In recent years, I've chosen my roles based on those performed by past tenors with a similar voice type to mine, although I've also tackled some that don't necessarily follow that line, and which were fundamental to understanding my vocal limits and qualities. Now, I tend to choose roles with which I feel a connection. There are certain characters I'm leaving aside because I feel I can't offer them much more in terms of interpretation. I want my roles to reflect my abilities and my passion. If I don't connect with a character, I can't express what needs to be expressed. In the coming months, I'll be taking on new roles such as the leads in Faust, Samson and Delilah, Manon Lescaut, Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino , and Aida.

–Would you like to explore other repertoires in the future, such as Wagner or more dramatic Verdi roles?

–There are some German operas that have sparked my interest, and I feel that after a few more verismo roles, I'll be able to tackle that repertoire. I hope to perform Lohengrin, Parsifal, Apollo, and Bacchus [roles by Wagner and Strauss, respectively] in the future.

An exclusive artist for the Deutsche Grammophon label, Tetelman became embroiled in controversy last year following statements that perhaps had more impact than expected. In them, the artist claimed he had not had a good experience during his tenure (in two Puccini roles) at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the lyrical giant of the American continent and one of the top five opera houses worldwide.

According to OperaWire, the tenor expressed his disillusionment with the treatment he received at the MET and his lack of artistic freedom in that environment, adding to his vocal indisposition. At the time, he said: “I'm glad I went, I was there, but I don't think it's going to be the place where I sing regularly anymore. I didn't feel like they really wanted me there from the beginning. I think they only hired me because my name was growing, because I could sing and maybe sell some tickets. That's how I felt.”

Although Tetelman avoided referring to this incident when asked by Ñ about the matter, the question gives rise to an inquiry into other aspects of the international career of an artist of his stature and level of public exposure.

–As an artist, have you ever felt pressured by a world so dominated by appearance and social media?

Social media is truly a modern phenomenon and a very contemporary way to connect with classical music. It can achieve wonderful things in terms of sharing art and performed music around the world. For me, it's been a great tool to get my music and my name out there, even in places where I haven't performed yet. However, it also has its downsides, as there can be a lot of negativity and toxicity on both public and private pages. It's important to be sure to accept criticism, but only when it comes from a constructive place.

* The AURA series, sponsored by Revista Ñ, will have its first performance on August 17 at 5 p.m. at the Teatro Colón with a presentation by Jonathan Tetelman. Then, it will be the turn of Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina (September 14), followed by Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča (October 20) and American soprano Nadine Sierra (November 17).