Operisima Mexico finds a glamorous new home in a garden of earthly delights

Published January 18, 2024

by Robert J. Hawkins

The modest wooden door in the high garden wall opens into El Rio y La Paloma No. 2 in the distant and dusty San Miguel outpost of Los Frailes. Stepping through the portal feels a bit like Dorothy stepping out of Auntie Em’s farmhouse into Oz.

Behind this wall is indeed another world so unexpected and beautiful as to momentarily throw you off balance.

The path before you leads to a distinguished columned building in the Greek Revival style — now to become an opera house. To the left is a fountain with a sculpture of Hercules riding the back of a dolphin. In the distance, another fountain celebrates Dionysius. To the right is an Italian villa and beside it is a weighty and somber stone Medieval tower.

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Operísima México, based in San Miguel de Allende, was founded by Mtro. Rogelio Riojas-Nolasco, pianist and vocal coach with more than 40 years of national and international experience in the preparation and perfection of artists in the field of opera. The objective of Operísima México is to develop classical singing talents, to give them the tools, knowledge and skills that take them to a competitive level in the world of opera. Among the activities carried out, the workshops for the study and perfection of roles in complete operas stand out, the improvement of stage and body movement, and the correct handling of languages (diction and phrasing in Italian, French, German and English), with the purpose of promoting the dissemination of opera and, in general, lyrical art in Mexico, as well as helping singers in their professional and personal development.