Iván Ayón Rivas: meet the young Peruvian tenor who won the ‘World Opera’ | INTERVIEW

Her singing teacher tells us that Ivan Ayon Rivas was born to sing. Soprano María Eloisa Aguirre has known him almost since he was 18 years old and was his guide until he was 21, when he won the Radio Filarmonía contest. “He entered the National Conservatory of Music in first place, specializing in Singing. He was a very outstanding student. And later he won the most important lyric competition in the country. He participated in the Peruvian opera, has been recognized by national and foreign musicians. He had to emigrate to other latitudes with these conditions “, tells us María Eloisa, who defines Iván Ayón Rivas as “A very charming, loving, simple young man who loves our country and his Piura that saw him born”.

Last Sunday, Iván Ayón Rivas reached the highest award in the Operalia 2021 singing competition, held between October 18 and 24 at the historic Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. It is a world opera competition open to artists between the ages of 18 and 32, founded and chaired since 1993 by the famous Spanish lyricist Placido Domingo.

In this ‘world opera’, the tenor won the award for best male singer for his performance of a fragment of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Il corsaro”. In addition, Ayón Rivas won the zarzuela award and audience award.

Iván, who won the Luciano Pavarotti trophy in the Etta e Paolo Limiti Prize contest in 2015 and received a distinction from the Congress of the Republic in 2018, is thus recognized by his teacher: “He is an excellent professional, very studious, neat, a musician who handles other instruments such as guitar, trumpet, piano, etc. He invests hours a day in his physical, technical, vocal and intellectual preparation. Because it is not only having the wonderful gift of singing, but also cultivating it and fighting hard to achieve a dream in life”. And Iván Ayón Rivas is achieving it.

After knowing the news of his triumph in Moscow, and between his flight from Russia to Italy (he resides in Rapallo, province of Genoa), the tenor agreed to respond to Trade some questions. A great admirer of Franci Corelli, Giuseppe Giacomini, Plácido Domingo and his singing teacher, Roberto Servile, Iván tells us that it is the first time that he applied to Operalia, and thanks to his outstanding participation, he also becomes the first Peruvian to win this competition. Today, which is World Opera Day, he and all of Peru celebrate.

Since its creation in 1993, it is the first time that a Peruvian has won the Operalia world opera competition. How you feel?

I am very happy to be the first Peruvian to win this important contest, especially to be the only Latin American representative of this edition.

–How did you prepare for this competition, and what was the most difficult throughout these selection stages until you reached the final?

The preparation has not been for this competition, we (my teacher Roberto Servile and I) prepare for the new debuts in the important theaters where I have to return and / or go for the first time, the contest is a consequence of doing things well and it is a confirmation that I am on the right track. From the preliminary to the final it was a difficult road, mostly to manage nerves and concentration.

– What is the best thing that you take from this ‘world opera’?

The best thing that I take from Operalia is human relationships, being able to share with high-level singers and being able to learn from them (and from maestro Domingo obviously) something that can help me in my daily life and my career.

–Tell us about your beginnings. How did your interest in opera arise and how did you start developing your artistic career?

The interest in opera was born in a very light way, it was an option to enter the world of music, but I did not know it completely until I entered the National Conservatory of Music; It was there that, together with my dear teacher María Eloisa Aguirre, we began a path study, always aiming at the international.

–The critics have celebrated your “enthusiasm and vocal generosity” when you played Corrado in “El corsario” (Piacenza, 2018). When a young tenor like you comes out on stage, in addition to the voice, of course, what other resources does he appeal to to win over his audience?

The resources are really only one: the technique. Without it I would not be able to take advantage of the emotions of myself and the author and transmit them to the public.

–What do you think has been your most challenging presentation or character so far? Why?

Absolutely none, it all depends on the control capacity you have in each presentation. So far I have been fortunate enough to control emotions and be able to conquer function or production in general.

–The Bolshoi Theater must be intimidating, because of its history and how imposing it is. But you have also performed at the Teatro Dell’Opera in Rome, at La Fenice and the Regio di Torini, the latter two inaugurated in the 18th century. How do you remember your debut in those rooms?

Actually I have sung at the Bolshoi two years ago doing “La bohéme”. More than intimidating, they are impressive, to feel the emotion and responsibility of singing on those great stages, knowing that the best in history have passed through there is a great weight and an enthusiasm to continue studying and working.

“And now you have returned to Milan.” You will soon be Prince Malcolm, fighting to regain his father’s throne in “Macbeth.” Tell us about your preparation to take on this role at (no less than) the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Is it your debut in that room?

It has been a complicated but easy preparation at the same time, because the role is not that great, but the responsibility of being at the Teatro alla Scala is very great. It is my debut, which actually had to be last year just for December 7, which but because Covid could not take place.

–As happened in many sectors, the pandemic created very difficult situations for the cultural industry. What happened in the field of lyricism and how did you face the months of confinement?

COVID hit the theater sector very hard, because unfortunately the lyrical theater was left as the last wheel of the cart and it was very difficult to get everything to open again. The confinement I had a great time, because my parents now live with me and I had the opportunity to get to know each other better in another stage of our lives.

– And now, how do you live the new normal in national and global opera?

Now, thanks to the ‘GreenPass’ and the different vaccines, everything is following your natural path. In Italy the theaters are open to 100% of their capacity and it is thought that in the future they will not close anything. At the maximum it is reduced to 80%, but I do not believe, let’s have faith!

– What expectations do you have from this recognition achieved on Sunday? What are your future plans?

The expectations are great, reaching the greatest theaters in the world, while continuing to study and further perfect the technique. This recognition is a very great weight, since now people will not go to listen only to the opera, if not to the winner of Operalia. It is a huge responsibility.