FASMA | Voice and piano recital

"An international-caliber vocal recital featuring two of today's most captivating sopranos:

​María Katzarava – A true global phenomenon, she has graced the legendary stages of La Scala Milan, Covent Garden, Arena di Verona, Teatro del Liceu, and Teatro Real de Madrid. She made history at the 2008 Operalia Competition, sweeping First Prize in both the Opera and Zarzuela categories.

​Lluvia Ruelas – Lighting up stages from Rome and Merano to the Emilia Romagna Festival and the Graz Opera in Austria. She is celebrated by Katzarava herself as ""one of the most beautiful and intriguing voices of her generation.""

​The divas will be accompanied by the world-renowned pianist:

​Jozef Olechowski – A master accompanist whose acclaimed artistry spans Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

An Evening of Lyrical Ecstasy in San Miguel de Allende

​The San Miguel de Allende Arts Festival (FASMA) 2026 through the UNAM-UESMA is proud to present an unforgettable operatic evening on August 15th at 6:00 PM at the iconic Ángela Peralta Theater.

​This must-attend recital will bring together the virtuosity and profound emotional depth of three great artists: the acclaimed sopranos María Katzarava and Lluvia Ruelas, whose prodigious voices will engage in perfect harmony, accompanied by the flawless mastery of celebrated pianist Jozef Olechowski. Together, they will guide the audience through a sonic journey that promises to stir the soul.

​The program is meticulously crafted into two parts of memorable contrasts:

​Part One: The Splendor of Operatic Drama: A deep immersion into romanticism and tragedy, featuring the most sublime pages by Giacomo Puccini (including gems from Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and Turandot), alongside dazzling pieces by Bizet, Gounod, and Offenbach's hypnotic Barcarolle.

​Part Two: French Delicacy and Zarzuela Passion: After the intermission, the atmosphere will transform with the subtle musical poetry of Hahn, Poulenc, and Weill, culminating in a vibrant celebration of Hispanic lyric theater with the most passionate and celebrated excerpts from traditional Spanish Zarzuela.

​An unmissable rendezvous with subtle artistry, overflowing passion, and acoustic beauty in the heart of San Miguel de Allende.

 

 

 

**​MARÍA KATZARAVA, Dramatic Soprano**

​Recognized as one of the most important Verdinian voices of the 21st century, María Katzarava is the only Mexican soprano to have performed across all five continents. With a solid musical foundation that began at age four as a violinist under her parents' guidance, she discovered her extraordinary vocal instrument during adolescence. A graduate of the Escuela Superior de Música of INBAL and an alumna of the SIVAM and Los Angeles Opera programs, she rose to international prominence after winning first place in both the opera and zarzuela categories at Operalia 2008.

​Over a distinguished 25-year career, she has been honored with the ""Young Singer"" award at the Oscar della Lirica at the Arena di Verona, ""Best Lyric Singer"" at the Miami Life Awards, the Premio Crónica for Culture, and the Pablo Moncayo medal. She has performed leading roles in the world's most iconic theaters, including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Lausanne Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, and Teatro Real de Madrid. She has shared the stage with figures such as Andrea Bocelli, Juan Diego Flórez, and Plácido Domingo, under the baton of conductors including Zubin Mehta, Michele Mariotti, Enrique Patrón de Rueda, and Scott Yoo.

​In recent years, she has solidified her transition into the dramatic soprano repertoire, debuting to great acclaim in highly demanding roles such as Fidelio, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Aida, Giovanna d'Arco, and Il Trovatore. Furthermore, her versatility has led her to premiere operas written specifically for her voice, such as Juana sin Cielo by Alberto García Demestres, and to inspire the character of ""La Catrina"" in Gabriela Lena Frank's El último sueño de Frida y Diego for the San Diego Opera.

​In addition to her brilliant career as a performer, Katzarava is an active cultural promoter and pedagogue. She founded the María Katzarava International Singing Competition and the Studio Katzarava (with branches in Mexico and Spain), and has served as Director of the Bellas Artes Opera Studio and Artistic Director of the Ópera de Bellas Artes (National Opera Company).

**​LLUVIA RUELAS, Soprano**

​Originally from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Lluvia Ruelas began her musical activity singing in various operas and concert music under the direction of maestro Antonio González. During this time, she received a young artist grant from the government of the state of Sinaloa. She later continued her operatic vocal studies in Mexico City at the Escuela Nacional de Música of UNAM, studying under maestro Roberto Bañuelas. She has also refined her vocal technique with maestro Ramón Calzadilla.

​She continued her studies in Germany and Austria, training under prestigious sopranos such as the Wagnerian specialist Dunja Vejzovic in Stuttgart and Eva Klietmann Bartfai in the city of Graz. Additionally, she worked with the principal vocal coach (correpetidor) of the Vienna and Graz Operas, maestro Maris Scuja. She has also worked on vocal technique with the renowned soprano María Katzarava, from whom she continues to receive guidance. In Mexico, she has performed opera on the country's main stages and has given various operatic and concert music recitals with the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra, the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Camerata de las Américas, the Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra, and the Eduardo Mata University Youth Orchestra (OJUEM), among others.

​In Austria, she was a member of the Graz Opera ensemble, performing in various operas and concerts with the Graz Opera Symphony Orchestra. She has participated in national and international tours with the Eduardo Mata University Youth Orchestra, performing at venues such as the Teatro Ocampo in Morelia and the Teatro Bicentenario in León, Guanajuato. In Italy, she has performed in cities such as Portici; at the Kursaal during the Merano Festival; at the Teatro Ebe Stignani in Imola as part of the Emilia-Romagna Festival; and in Rome at the Santa Cecilia Academy hall, one of the most important concert venues in Europe. Her upcoming projects include singing the leading role of Nedda in the opera Pagliacci, alongside various operatic recitals with different orchestras throughout Mexico.

**​JOZEF OLECHOWSKI, Pianist**

​Jozef Olechowski is a Polish-born pianist residing in Mexico, with a distinguished career recognized by both national and international institutions. He has developed an extensive career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. He began his musical studies in his native Poland, where, as a teenager, he was twice awarded the scholarship of the Fryderyk Chopin International Institute in Warsaw—a recognition granted to the most outstanding pianists of their generation. He completed his piano studies at the Krakow Music Lyceum and subsequently at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. In Mexico, he won the National Piano Competition in Puebla and obtained an honorable mention for his Master’s Degree in Composition from the Universidad Veracruzana.

​His career as a concert pianist and chamber musician has taken him to perform in Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Central America, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico. He has performed in London at Wigmore Hall, one of the most prestigious concert halls in the United Kingdom. He has collaborated as a soloist with most of Mexico's major orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the UNAM Philharmonic Orchestra (OFUNAM), the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bellas Artes Chamber Orchestra, the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra, the Michoacán Symphony Orchestra, the Aguascalientes Symphony Orchestra, the Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Boca del Río Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. He has also participated in renowned festivals such as the Festival Cervantino, the Festival de Mayo in Guadalajara, the Zacatecas Cultural Festival, and the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Festival in Álamos, Sonora. He serves as the Artistic Director of Escenia Ensamble, an organization dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of new artistic projects.

​His commitment to rescuing and promoting Mexican music is reflected in his recording of over 40 compact discs featuring works by Mexican composers. This includes the complete piano works of composer Ernesto Elorduy and the chamber music of Manuel M. Ponce, a recording for which he received the Award from the Union of Theater and Music Chroniclers. He has recorded for labels such as BMG, Universal, EMI, Sony Music, Quindecim, Prodisc, and Urtext. Concurrently, he has maintained an active teaching career, offering masterclasses in piano technique, chamber music, and vocal coaching in Mexico, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Japan. He was also a resident teacher and founder of the Instrumenta Oaxaca Festival. For three years, he led the project ""Conducting Children's and Youth Orchestras of Mexico from the Piano,"" which consisted of orchestral and chamber music workshops with children and adolescents across most Mexican states. He also assisted in preparing the Children's Choir of the Valle de Chalco for their performance before His Holiness John Paul II during his second visit to Mexico in 1990.

​The German publisher Schott & Co. has published three volumes of works for flute and piano of his authorship. In recognition of his career, he was twice distinguished by the National Council for Culture and the Arts (CONACULTA) as a ""Performer with a Distinguished Career."" He has been decorated by the President of the Republic of Poland with the Knight's Cross for fostering cultural ties between Mexico and Poland. Additionally, he has been recognized by the International Confraternity of Science, Culture, and Humanities as an International Ambassador of Art and Culture, and was awarded the title of Honorary Member of the Gandhi Mandela Foundation for his contributions to world peace and human rights. To further strengthen cultural ties between Mexico and Poland, he is a founding member and Artistic Director of the Fryderyk Chopin Cultural Society of Mexico A.C."
"María Katzarava, soprano
Lluvia Ruelas, soprano
Jozef Olechowski, piano"