Fernando Bustos Helps Early Music Festival End On High Note

Look Away: Fernando Bustos as Orfeo in the Twin Cities.

"The second annual Twin Cities Early Music Festival — three weeks of period instrument and early vocal style performances — presented its finale Friday night, an ambitious and largely successful semi-staging of Gluck’s classic 18th-century opera, Orfeo ed Euridice.....A feisty little 10-piece orchestra offered playing that was both lively and consistently in tune — no small accomplishment in the period-instrument world. Even so, under the circumstances, it was probably wise that conductor Donald Livingston cut at least a half-hour out of the score. Two of the singers came from Panama for this production (which was repeated Saturday). These were a young countertenor, Fernando Bustos, who sang Orfeo, and soprano Graciela Saavedra, who portrayed Amore, the Goddess of Love. Bustos brought a sincerity and an emotional vulnerability to the role that more or less carried the evening, and his high tenor, with its poignant naturalness, had none of the steely sound that mars the singing of so many countertenors. As far as variety of vocal expression and coloring, Bustos is probably not yet in the league of David Daniels, the current champ of countertenors who sang Orfeo for Minnesota Opera, but he is clearly on his way. He sang the great lament, 'Che faro senza Euridice?' with such sweetness and tragic dignity that it seemed fresh and new. Saavedra was a saucy Amore with an agile voice, though a couple of her coloratura flights sounded tentative. Linh Kauffman was a warmly human Euridice exquisitely sung. Both Bustos and Kauffman embodied the 'noble simplicity' that Gluck sought in his works for the stage." Read the entire review here and learn more about the festival here. Additional information on Fernando Bustos, after the jump.

Fernando Bustos, countertenor
Panamanian countertenor, Fernando Bustos was born in the Republic of Panama. His vast repertoire ranges from Early Music to Classical and Contemporary works. In the field of Early Music, Fernando Bustos has trained extensively with renowned figures of the genre such as Michael Chance and Lynne Dawson at the 8th Residence Baroque Academy in Candili, Greece, and Gérard Lesne during the Résidence au Centre des Arts d’Enghien in Paris, France. Oratorio Solo appearances include: Bach’s Magnificat in D, Pergolesis’ Stabat Mater, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, and Dvorak’s Mass in D Minor. Rescent performances cover the title role (Hyacinthus) in Mozart’s Apollo et Hyacinthus at Panama’s National Theatre, “La Folia e l’Amore” italian secular cantatas under Gérard Lesne in France, “Antologia Colonial” opening concert to I Festival Música Antigua Panamá with Forma Antiqva, and Handel’s Messiah with Panama’s National Symphony. Upcoming engagements include the title role in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, and Spirit in Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas. Among some of the institutions, which regularly invite Mr. Bustos, are Panama’s National Theatre, Panama’s National Symphony Orchestra, Ópera Panamá, and Antiqva. Fernando Bustos has collaborated with classical contemporary composers Federico García (Colombia) and Sergio Rodrigo (Brazil) in the première of his Derradeira Luz at Musicarte, Festival de Música Contemporánea. Recently invited to perform Ricardo Risco’s La Noche y El Mar with Panama’s National Symphony Orchestra at their X Muestra de Música Contemporánea. An active performer of chamber music, Mr. Bustos is a member of the ensemble Paisaxe, and is part of a duet with pianist María Inés Rodríguez. Mr. Bustos started his music studies at Conservatorio Nacional de Panamá, then moved to Argentina where he continued his vocal training and repertoire studies with the distinguished maestros of the Teatro Colon Opera House, Ricardo Yost and Rozita Zozulia. Mr. Bustos has coached with Irena Sylya (Opera Panama) and Marianne Blok (Amsterdam).