The Mazatlán Municipal Institute of Culture, Tourism, and Art presented an evening filled with emotion, elegance, and vocal virtuosity at the Ángela Peralta Theater. The venue hosted the concert *Amamos la Ópera: rumbo a los grandes escenarios* (We Love Opera: Heading to the Great Stages)—a memorable farewell event for soprano Vanessa Gama and mezzo-soprano Rose Ferreiro as they prepare to compete in the major leagues of the national and international operatic world.
Accompanied by the distinguished Camerata Mazatlán under the impeccable direction of Maestro Enrique Patrón De Rueda, the soloists delivered a performance that captivated the audience from start to finish; the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause, moved by the singers’ dazzling artistic quality.
The program featured a rich and diverse selection of some of the most iconic arias, duets, and intermezzos from the universal operatic repertoire:
The performance opened with the Overture and emblematic passages from Gioachino Rossini’s *Semiramide*. Vanessa Gama dazzled with the agility and brilliance of “Bel raggio lusinghier,” while Rose Ferreiro demonstrated great expressive depth in “Ah quel giorno ognor rammento.” Together, they blended masterfully in the moving duet “Serbami ognor.”
Following the delicate Intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni’s *Cavalleria Rusticana*, Gama moved the audience with “A vos jeux, mes amis” from the opera *Hamlet* (Ambroise Thomas), and Ferreiro delivered a poignant rendition of “Da chas nastal” from *The Maid of Orléans* (Pyotr Tchaikovsky). Following the intermission—which opened with the cheerful Overture to Johann Strauss II’s operetta *Die Fledermaus*—Rose Ferreiro delivered an impeccable performance of arias from Camille Saint-Saëns’ *Samson et Dalila* (“Printemps qui commence,” “Amour viens aider ma faiblesse,” and “Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix”). For her part, Vanessa Gama concluded the vocal segment by masterfully performing “Care compagne / Come per me sereno” and “Ah non credea mirarti / Ah non giunge” from Vincenzo Bellini’s *La sonnambula*.
*Bound for International Stages*
More than just a recital, the performance marked a milestone in the careers of both singers, who were recently selected in the Mexico District for the Metropolitan Opera’s prestigious Laffont Competition (organized in partnership with the San Miguel MetOpera Trust). Rose Ferreiro will soon travel to Italy to audition for a chance to join a prominent company in Rome, while Vanessa Gama will represent talent from Mazatlán in Gütersloh, Germany, at the renowned Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition.
At the conclusion of the official program, the euphoria and emotion filling the venue erupted into ovations and insistent applause; the audience, shouting “Encore! Encore!”, was reluctant to let the artists leave. In response, Vanessa and Rose treated the crowd to a sublime moment by joining their voices for the famous *Barcarolle*—one of the most iconic and celebrated duets from Jacques Offenbach’s *The Tales of Hoffmann*. As the perfect finale to a truly memorable evening, the soloists, the Camerata Mazatlán, and Maestro Patrón De Rueda capped off the concert with a heartfelt rendition of the iconic romantic song “Dime que sí” by Mexican composer Alfonso Esparza Oteo—an unforgettable farewell that cements Mazatlán’s status as a source of pride for opera in Mexico.
