Biography
With an international career that spans more than 20 years and 60 roles, tenor Rafael Davila's recent engagements include Don José in Carmen with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Renato Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and under Maestro Placido Domingo’s baton for Opera de Valencia in Spain, the premiere of Jimmy Lopez’s opera Bel Canto with the Chicago Lyric Opera where he created the role of General Alfredo, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci for Sarasota Opera, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and the Macerata Festival in Italy, and Don Carlo, Carmen, Norma and La Forza del Destino for Washington National Opera.
This season he has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera artist’s roster for the third consecutive year in productions of Aida, Carmen and Tosca, and will also appear in Carmen and Tosca for Opera Naples and Opera de Puerto Rico respectively. His Don José has also been heard in Minnesota, Miami, Kansas City and New Zealand. Next season he makes his debut with San Francisco Opera in Manon Lescaut, returns to Sarasota Opera for Catalani’s La Wally, and also debuts with Opera Colorado and Opera San Antonio as Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, a role he has also sung in Kansas City, Sarasota, Miami, San Juan and Leipzig. For the 2020-21 season Rafael will return to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the leading tenor role in performances of Verdi’s Nabucco.
Other career highlights include the title role in Verdi’s Otello for Sarasota Opera and Teatro de la Opera in Puerto Rico, Radames in Aida for Opera de Valencia and Manitoba Opera, Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West for Michigan Opera and Minnesota Opera, Manrico in Il Trovatore for Opera New Jersey and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera for Teatro San Carlo and Florida Grand Opera, the premiere of the opera Time and Again Barelas by Miguel del Aguila with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and Calaf in Turandot for Opera de Puerto Rico, Connecticut Grand Opera and New York Lyric Opera.
Davila's concert experience also includes Verdi’s Requiem, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Bach’s Magnificat, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Berlioz' Te Deum, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, and Estevez’ Cantata Criolla which he performed with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Gerard Schwarz. His recordings of Ariel Ramírez’ Misa Criolla as well as the recording of the operetta Cofresí by Rafael Hernández were both nominated for a Grammy award.
Davila began his musical training at the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory, and completed a Master’s degree in Opera Performance at the University of Texas at Austin.