Mexican tenor Ernesto Ramirez sat down with Inside the Notes to share his unlikely story. After receiving a performance degree in clarinet, Ernesto found his true calling. Listen to hear his amazing journey from clarinet to operatic tenor.
In 2014 while engaged as a cover for the title role of Roberto Devereux with the Canadian Opera Company, he was thrilled to share the stage in performance with soprano Sondra Radvanovsky.
He has performed to great acclaim for audiences in France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States.
Operatic roles for Ernesto include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Palacio de Bellas Artes, Ramiro in La Cenerentola with Teatro del Bicentenario in Mexico, and with the Rossini in Wildbad Belcanto Opera Festival in Germany. In Canada, Ernesto starred as Nadir in Les Pêcheurs des Perles with Opera Hamilton, and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Pacific Opera Victoria. Ernesto sang a “touching and radiant” Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore with Opéra de Angers-Nantes, and with Festival Folies D’O Montpellier.
He starred in the title role of Verdi’s Stiffelio with Toronto’s Voicebox:Opera in Concert, Raoul in the Canadian Premiere of Meyerbeer’s Les Huegenots, Arturo in I Puritani, and sang Alfredo in La Traviata with the Sarasota Opera.
Ernesto Ramirez was “the revelation of the evening… a true Italianate tenor with endless lung power and heroic tone” in the role of Javier in Luisa Fernanda with Toronto Operetta Theatre.
His “resplendent tenor” has been heard in performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Niagara Symphony and Kingston Symphony. Opera companies in Zurich, Quebec, Montreal, Tel-Aviv and Mexico City have welcomed him as a guest artist in their Opera Galas. He also performed at The 150th Anniversary of Puccini, a gala hosted by Simonetta Puccini.
Ernesto earned a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico, and graduated from Boston University’s Opera Institute. He has received awards from The Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions in Los Angeles, the Society of Singers Foundation and the New West Symphony Young Artist Prize.