José Cura

José Cura is one of today's most popular artists, who has performed on all major operatic stages throughout his career, including London, Paris, Rome, Prague and Vienna. His most memorable performance was in 1997 with the Berlin Philharmonic and Claudio Abbado as Verdi's Otello, but he also entered opera history as Saint-Saëns' Samson.

Also referred to as the fourth tenor and the opera star of the 21st century, Cura is more than an opera star: a sensitive and versatile artist who conducts and sings both in concerts and on recordings, but is also significant as a composer and director, and even expresses himself as a photographer and fashion designer.

On July 17, he will take the stage in Veszprém as an old friend and as a defining artist of the festival. His name merged with the VeszprémFest: in 2004, the then 42-year-old artist started the festival with a still memorable performance, which he graced with his presence in 2010 and 2018.

Cura is preparing for his fourth VeszprémFest performance with a program of Argentinian songs and Italian arias specially prepared for the audience of História Kert, in which Dora Bizjak - piano, Barbora Kubíková - guitar, Polina Pasztircsák - soprano and the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra from Veszprém, which has expanded into a symphonic orchestra for the occasion, will also participate, artistic director: Péter Kováts. Conductor: Mario De Rose.

In the performance in the História Kert, in addition to transcriptions by Piazzola, Carlos Guastavino and Alberto Ginastera, he also selects from arias from Verdi and Puccini operas, including Nabucco, the Power of Fate, Tosca, Rigoletto and Otello.