A native Texan, the young tenor Hugo Vera is described as possessing a “truly heroic voice” that is both “beautiful and brilliant.”  A recent addition to The Metropolitan Opera artist roster, Mr. Vera has performed with distinguished companies in the US as part of his musical and artistic development of the full lyric and spinto tenor repertoire.  Mr. Vera has sung with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, The Minnesota Opera, Chautauqua Opera, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera North, Aspen Opera Theatre, Nashville Opera, Shreveport Opera, and Tanglewood Music Festival. In addition to his Avery Fisher Hall debut in the acclaimed North American premiere of Mascagni’s Il Piccolo Marat with Teatro Grattacielo, Mr. Vera recently made his company debut with the distinguished Spoleto - USA. He looks forward to making important role and company debut for Opera Memphis and he returns to the mainstage of The Metropolitan Opera in the season.

In addition to the role of Voce Tenore in Il Piccolo Marat, projects in the season for Mr. Vera included several role debuts.  Mr. Vera sang Rodolfo (La Bohème) in a debut with Sioux City Symphony, Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) for Opera North, Des Grieux (Manon Lescaut) for Shreveport Opera, Samson (Samson et Dalila) for New Opera of Saint Louis, and he reprised Don José (Carmen) for Opera North. Other roles performed in recent seasons include Manrico (Il Trovatore), Cavaradossi (Tosca), Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann), Faust (Faust), Pietro Nuttini (The Glass Blowers), Luiz (The Gondoliers), Alfredo (La Traviata), and Raffaele (Stiffelio) which he performed while covering the principal role of Stiffelio. Other cover assignments which have expanded his repertoire comprise Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto), Jacopo Foscari (I due Foscari), and Sam (Susannah). Recent and upcoming assignments in the 2009-2010 Season for Mr. Vera comprise a cover of Kedril in Janáček's From the House of the Dead for The Metropolitan Opera, a reprise of Rodolfo (La bohème) for Shreveport Opera, a role debut as Werther for Winter Opera of St. Louis, several concerts and a role and company debut singing Philemon (Philemon and Baucis) for Spoleto USA. Mr. Vera begins his 2010 -2011 season with role and company debut singing Trim (La Fanciulla del West) for The Metropolitan Opera and Radames (Aïda) for Opera Memphis.

As a concert artist, Mr. Vera has successfully performed works ranging from the cantatas of J.S. Bach to the works of Britten, Tippett and Vaughn Williams. Of the oratorio/concert repertoire Mr. Vera has sung Verdi’s Requiem, Vaughn Williams' Mass in G minor, Schubert’s Mass in G, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Handel’s Messiah and various works of Beethoven including the Choral Fantasy,the Mass in C, Missa Solemnis, and the great Symphony No. 9.  He has had the pleasure of performing both Bach’s Magnificat, as well as the celebrated Mass in B minor.

Recognized as a significantly talented young singer, Mr. Vera enjoyed the privilege of training with several noteworthy young artist programs including the Brevard Music Center, the Tanglewood Music Festival, Aspen Music Center, Glimmerglass Opera, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, The Minnesota Opera, and Chautauqua Opera.  He received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and earned a Master of Music – with Honors – from the University of Kansas.