Arizona Opera Cast Members & Creatives

Puerto Rican soprano Abigail Santos Villalobos continues to thrill audiences with her pure, satiny and lustrous sound  delivered with penetrating and emotional performances  in both operatic and concert appearances. 

Highlights of her 2014/15 season include collaborating with the internationally renowned conductor John Nelson in Bach’s St. John Passion, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, and Haydn’s Creation with the Costa Rica Symphony, Pro-Arte Chorale, and Wheaton College Symphony respectively. This fall, Santos will be performing as a guest artist in an Emory University recital. During the holidays Ms. Santos will retun to sing Handel’s Messiah with The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus under James Bagwell. For the new year (2015) the young soprano will be making her debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Unlimited, San Diego Opera, and Houston Grand Opera in the leading role of “Amorita” in the world premier of El Pasado Se Nunca Termina, with music by José “Pepe” Martínez and libretto by Leonard Foglia. 

In the 2013/14 season Ms. Santos was re-invited by The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program to cover “Susanna” in The Marriage of Figaro.  With Cincinnati Opera she appeared as “Fanny” in a workshop of Morning Star, a new opera by Ricky Ian Gordon. In addition, she premiered a new work at Carnegie Hall – Cinco Canciones con los ojos Cerrados by composer Miguel Francoli. Furthermore, Santos was invited to sing Mahler Symphony No. 2 with Lynn Philharmonia, Handel’s Messiah with Cincinnati Symphony and Carmina Burana with the Emory University Symphony Orchestra.

A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Santos has been featured as “Morgana” in Handel’s Alcina, “Sofia” in Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino, “Cleopatra” in Handel’s Giulio Cesare and “Zerlina” in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.  Abigail has performed professionally with programs such as the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice program, San Francisco Merola Opera program, International Vocal Arts Institute and CCM Spoleto.

Abigail’s honors include, finalist of the 2014 MONC Southeast region, 2013 promising artist of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice program Anna Case MacKay Award, 2012 Kentucky Bach Choir Competition, 2011 Sam Adams Award, 2010 Italo Tajo Memorial Award and 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Semi-finalist.