Dennis Orellana

Biography

“…the Honduran countertenor Dennis Orellana (Berardo), also agile and technically very solid, with a voice of enviable sound projection for such a young sopranist, to be kept well in mind in view of future developments in a career that already promises to be promising.”

Connessi all’Opera

“In the highest vocal range, the phenomenal soprano Dennis Orellana as Bellezza, who has a full-toned, flawless timbre that is in no way inferior to that of a female singer. He doesn’t come across as a countertenor at all (and probably isn’t). He was the center of the performance, also in the way he appeared, in his graceful, boyish appearance, youthful appearance.” (translation from German)

Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

The exceptionally talented young soprano, Dennis Orellana will take part in several high-calibre Baroque productions in the 2024/25 season. Dennis will return to Salzburger Festspiele in the role of Irina in Drei Schwestern, he will make his debut in the role of Bellezza in Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno at the Tage der Alten Musik Knechtstedten and the Modica Festival. Our soprano will perform the role of Alessandro in Il Venceslao at the Warsaw Philharmonic, the role of Hunapuh in The Indian Queen at his Berlin Philharmonic debut, at De Singel and in Paris under Teodor Currentzis, Ernesto in Griselda at the Musiktheater an der Wien and the title role of Isaaco in the opera of the same name at the Vienna Chamber Opera. Solo concerts will take Dennis to Pullach, Tegucigalpa and Konstanz.

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Dennis Orellana was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. He began his professional music studies in the San Pedro Sula Youth Symphonic Orchestra as a trombonist with Alfonso Flores. He combined his vocal training with his university studies in computer science and digital design.

Dennis studied at the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid, the only university in Europe exclusively dedicated to opera singers, until 2024. He took part in masterclasses at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome with soprano Emanuela Salucci and in Madrid with Carolina Alcaide and completed an Erasmus programme at the Hochschule der Künste (HMDK) in Stuttgart.

In March 2021, he made his debut in Madrid with the role of Amor in the world premiere of La selva sin amor. In April of the same year, he brought Cherubino to life in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro in a production by Marina Bollaín and Nacho Rodríguez. He made his professional and international debut as Berardo in August 2021 in Carlo il Calvo (opera by Nicola Porpora) at the Teatro Auditorio San Lorenzo del Escorial.

He shared the stage with renowned artists such as Max Emanuel Cenčić, Julia Lezhneva, Franco Fagioli and others under the musical direction of Markellos Chryssicos, together with the Greek baroque orchestra Armonia Atenea. In February 2022, Denis sang Moth in Britten’s A Midsummernight’s Dream at the Wilhelma Theatre in Stuttgart. At the 2022 Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, Dennis performed as Zeffiro in Il Nascimento dell’Aurora and Ernesto in Griselda —both in concert form— in Bayreuth, marking his debut before a large, international audience. In 2023, Dennis performed Si suoni la tromba in a solo concert in Bayreuth, which he will take on tour starting in 2024.

In the last two seasons of 2022/23, he sang the roles of Alessandro in Caldara’s Il Venceslao in Gliwice and at the Theater an der Wien (house debut), Darius in Keiser’s Nebucadnezzar at the Schloßtheater Schwetzingen and at the Magdeburg Theatre and the title role of Teseo at the Handel Festival Halle.

His performances in the Mozart roles of Cavalier Ramiro in La Finta Giardiniera at the Salzburg State Theatre and the role of Sifare in Mitridate, re di Ponto at the Brussels Mozartiade and as part of Les Festivals de Wallonie in Mons and Namur caused a sensation.

The year 2023 was characterized by 2 spectacular house debuts at the best houses: as Berardo in Porpora’s Carlo il Calvo, Dennis made his debut at La Scala di Milano and also sang the role at the Konzerthaus Dortmund. Dennis was invited to sing the role of Hunapuh in The Indian Queen at the Salzburg Festival.

(Update on 10 October 2024, please only use this CV)

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