– The Spanish tenor will sing the role of Erik in Der fliegende Holländer in May for his return to the Opéra national du Capitole in Toulouse. It will be his first foray into the Wagnerian repertoire on a stage where, in the same period, he will offer a recital dedicated to the Spanish art song.
Airam Hernández says he feels “happy and very excited” about his imminent debut as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, his first Wagner opera, a title he adds to his highly varied repertoire at the Opéra national du Capitole in Toulouse, undoubtedly one of his home theatres, where he has sung on several occasions in works such as Norma (Bellini), La Traviata (Verdi) or Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky). The Richard Wagner title will be offered in six performances on May 16, 18, 20, 22, 25 and 27, in a production with stage direction by Michel Fau and maestro Frank Beermann at the helm of the Orchestre national du Capitole and the Chœur de l’Opéra national du Capitole. “I am very happy to be able to debut this repertoire precisely in Toulouse, a city whose audience has watched me grow as an artist in recent seasons,” confesses the singer from Tenerife. “The project of incorporating Wagner has been developing little by little and for a long time, but I was clear that I had to do it with the necessary vocal and emotional maturity, which is why Erik is the perfect role for my first approach to the composer, since Der fliegende Holländer is an opera from his beginnings, a Wagner who is in full evolution but still follows the wake of previous Romantic composers. Christophe Ghristi, artistic director of the Capitole, has always placed his trust in me and I am deeply grateful to him for that. The role of Erik is one I have prepared conscientiously and I am sure I will enjoy it immensely on stage,” he assures.
Additionally, Airam Hernández, in the same period as these Wagnerian performances (on May 23), will offer a Spanish art song recital accompanied by pianist Anne Le Bozec. “Together we have prepared a beautiful programme of Spanish authors that also includes composers from the Canary Islands and I am absolutely sure it will delight the French public and, of course, the wide Spanish-speaking community in Toulouse; it makes me very happy to promote our musical heritage all over the world, and I do so whenever I have an opportunity.” Airam Hernández is having an intensely busy season with several debuts, in addition to concerts and recitals, which have included his first Leicester in Maria Stuarda (Donizetti) at the Teatro Real in Madrid, his debut as Carlo VII in Giovanna d’Arco (Verdi) for his return to the Opera de Tenerife, Mozart’s Requiem with the Gran Canaria Philharmonic conducted by Karel Mark Chichon, and L’Enfant Prodigue (Debussy) with the Tenerife Symphony conducted by Víctor Pablo Pérez; after his commitments in Toulouse, he has Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, his return to the Teatro Real as Cassio in Otello (Verdi), Der fliegende Holländer and Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) for his return to the Opera de Tenerife, and new debuts, such as Walter in The Passenger (Weinberg) and none other than Don José in Carmen (Bizet), both at the Opéra du Capitole in Toulouse.