the path of a costa rican tenor
It is all about the journey
«Dr. Blind was admirably portrayed by Esteban Zuniga.» Nino Pantano - The Red Hook Star Revenue.
Hailing from Cartago, Costa Rica, tenor Esteban José Zúñiga Calderón is a passionate performer and dedicated voice instructor. Often praised for his high vocal range and expressiveness on stage, Zúñiga has forged a path through the world of vocal music and andragogy, from Latin America to the United States.
He began his exploration into opera in 2007 with Cuban tenor Omar González. In 2013, he commenced his undergraduate studies with Lic. Franklin Castro Steller at the National University of Costa Rica, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in 2016, followed by a Licenciatura in 2018. Later that same year, he moved to New York City, where he obtained a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, thanks to a full scholarship granted by the institution. During his time there, he studied with Professor Maitland Peters and later with former Metropolitan Opera tenor Neil Rosenshein. Since then, he has lived in the Pacific Northwest, where he recently received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree with a specialization in Historical Performance Practice from the University of Oregon, under the tutelage of Dr. Camille Ortiz. He was also awarded the title of Outstanding Graduate Performer in the area of Voice and the Award of Excellence as Graduate Employee in the areas of Studio, Performance, and Ensemble Teaching.
Zúñiga has had the opportunity to work with notable figures in North American classical music, such as Sherrill Milnes, Martina Arroyo, Arturo O'Farrill, Mignon Dunn, Ashley Putnam, Gary Wedow, Catherine Malfitano, and Kent Tritle. In 2022, Zúñiga was awarded the Ann Wayne Lamon Musgrove Scholarship as the winner of the University of Oregon's Opera Competition. In 2023, he received an honorable mention at the Concerto and Aria competition of the same institution.
Esteban Zúñiga Calderón has performed numerous leading and supporting roles in opera, as well as in oratorios, chamber music, concerts, and theater productions. Some of his performance highlights include his participation as Auca in the premiere of Blood Dawn of the Inti Sun with Seattle Opera’s Creation Labs, St. Peter in Rob Gardner’s Lamb of God, Gastone in La Traviata with Eugene Opera, Lindoro in L'Italiana in Algeri with UO Opera, Ernesto in Don Pasquale by G. Donizetti with Cascadia Chamber Opera, Prince Ramiro in La Cenerentola by G. Rossini with Geneva Light Opera, Othien in Ourland by P. Davis as part of the Aquilon Music Festival, and Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles by G. Bizet at the Manhattan School of Music. He has also performed Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart (Principal role with the National University of Costa Rica, Cover with the National Lyric Company of Costa Rica). Other major roles include Henrik in A Little Night Music by Sondheim, Oronte in Alcina by Handel, Juan Luis in El Huesped del Sevillano by J. Guerrero, and El Poeta in El Poeta Calculista by M. García. His comprimario roles include Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus by J. Strauss, Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Parpignol in Puccini's La Bohème, the First Armored Man and Second Priest in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos by R. Strauss, Gherardo in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Parpignol in La Bohème.
As a soloist, Zúñiga has performed in works such as Die Erste Walpurgisnacht by Mendelssohn, Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noël, J.S. Bach’s Johannes-Passion (both as Evangelist and Tenor Soloist), Der Kaffeekantate, The 3 Petrarchan Sonnets by Liszt, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Magnificat and Cantata 7 by Bach, Mozart’s Requiem, Schubert's Mass in E-flat and Auf dem Strom, Marianna von Martinez’s Dixit Dominus, H. Schütz's Musikalische Exequien, Monteverdi's Tempro la Cetra, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. He has also covered the roles of Jason in Médée by M.A. Charpentier, Mr. Hooker in Emmeline by T. Picker, Mercury in The Judgement of Paris by J. Eccles, and Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas by H. Purcell. Additionally, Zúñiga has performed in numerous solo recitals, chamber music concerts, collective performances, and fundraising events.
Zúñiga has also devoted many years to vocal pedagogy and andragogy, helping singers of all ages overcome technical challenges, achieve more efficient vocal techniques, and maximize their repertoire. His teaching career spans over 14 years, during which time he has organized and hosted numerous concerts and recitals for his students to help them gain stage experience and confidence. He contines conducting research on the impact and methodology of assigning repertoire to developing voices, as exemplified in his doctoral lecture recital: An Infographic Repertoire Guide for Voice Instructors and Developing Voices.
At present, Zúñiga serves as part of the voice faculty at Willamette University and Linn-Benton Community College, while he continues to perform and expand his vocal repertoire.
