Harpur funding provided Juan Carlos Tello the chance to attend the renowned Miami Beach Classical Music Festival.

When it comes to refining skills as a professional opera singer, music festivals are invaluable. Thanks to support from the Harpur College Dean’s Graduate Investment Initiative, Juan Carlos Tello was able to perform one of his dream roles — Tamino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute — at the 2024 Miami Beach Classical Music Festival.
The tenor, a second-year student in Binghamton University’s Master of Music in opera programme, hails from Mexico City. He discovered Binghamton through Assistant Professor of Voice Brenda Iglesias, whom he knew from home. His Miami experience included about five hours of daily rehearsals, along with voice lessons and coaching sessions in the evenings. Overall, it significantly contributed to his development as a singer, he said.

“The summer programme is very prestigious and attracts many opera students from around the country and the world,” Tello noted. “I was fortunate to sing my first leading role there.”
An accomplished singer, Tello has also performed as Mr. Pete in Goble’s The Eleanors at the Savannah Voice Festival, and as a chamber music soloist with the Binghamton University Orchestra and at France’s Festival du Pèrigord Noir. This year, he secured first place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing’s northeast competition.
In addition to performances at the University, Tello recently took the stage for Tri-Cities Opera’s production of The Magic Flute, playing a man in armour.
He expressed a desire to perform Tamino again professionally, as well as another dream role: Nemorino in Gaetano Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love.
“One of the best aspects of festivals is meeting people from across the country,” Tello reflected. “It’s a very diverse experience with a wide range of ages and levels. I shared the stage with 17-year-olds still in high school and professional artists testing roles for upcoming shows.”
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