Biography in Spanish version | German Version

Praised for his stratospheric high notes, innate musicality and dashing good looks, Jesús León is quickly earning a place among today’s most promising young lyric tenors. Born in Mexico to musical parents and initially dabbling in guitar lessons, his destiny changed when on a trip to Disneyland in 2004 during an impromptu performance at a restaurant, he made such an impression on a noted voice teacher and several LA opera singers in attendance that he was subsequently offered a scholarship to the UCLA Opera Studio. So began León’s professional singing career that established him as an artist to watch on both sides of the Atlantic in such diverse roles as Alfredo, Il Duca di Mantova, Nemorino and Edgardo.

Fresh from his successful 2009 debut at Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Raymond Gubbay's Classical Spectacular he later appeared at Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. With the Festival Euromediterraneo he sang the tenor solo in Carmina Burana in the Roman Amphitheater Ostia Antica.

In 2012/13 León is to debut at Scottish Opera and Bregenz Opera as Alfredo in La Traviata, sing the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at Garsington Opera and Estonia’s Birgitta Festival, join Carlos Miguel Prieto and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria in Berlioz’s Romeo et Juliette, bring the year to a close with five concerts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in Spirit of Christmas and New Year’s Eve gala (followed by a New Year’s concert) at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, and portray Arturo in I Puritani at Grange Park Opera.

Engagements during 2011/12 saw him perform Alfredo in La Traviata at Dijon Opera and Theatre Caen, Ernesto in Don Pasquale at Glyndebourne Opera Tour and Teatro del Bicentenario, six concerts at Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and concerts with the Camerata Manchester Orchestra and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as well as a Mozart Requiem with Orchestra Verdi in Milan.

Past operatic performances Riccardo in Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan in Berlin, Cavaradossi/Tosca at Grange Park Opera and NI Ireland Opera, Pinkerton/Madama Buttefly at the Grange Park Opera, Alfredo/La Traviata at the West Bay Opera, Nemorino/L’Elisir d’Amore in Mexico with the Sonora Philharmonic, Fenton/Falstaff (cover) at Glyndebourne, Don Ottavio/Don Giovanni, Rinuccio/Gianni Schicchi and Arkady/A Month in the Country at the Opera Institute in Boston; Il Duca/Rigoletto with San Francisco Lyric Opera, Edgardo/Lucia di Lammermoor with Riverside Opera; Almaviva/The Barber of Seville at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Ferrando/Cosi fan tutte (cover) at Santa Fe Opera, and both Cavaradossi/Tosca and Don José/Carmen (covers) at the Royal Albert Hall.

During his young career, he has already won many grants and awards. Include the Vilcek Foundation, Nando Peretti Foundation, Solti Foundation, the Palm Springs Opera Guild, the Institute Sonora of Culture, the American Institute of Fine Arts, and the Opera Buffs Inc. of Los Angeles.

In addition to the UCLA Opera Studio, he was a member of the 2006 Solti Accademia di bel Canto where he was coached by Mirella Freni. He was an inaugural member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Programme in 2006/2007 at the Los Angeles Opera. Ms. Freni continues to be his main teacher and mentor to this day.

January 2013