“Why have you come to my Masterclass if you sing it so that I cannot correct you? You have sung it the way I would have. There is nothing I can say except, Can you please sing Butterfly for me?”----Montserrat Caballé, Masterclass July 2008
Texas native Judith Rodriguez started 2010 singing in the First Zarzuela Anthology at the Quijano Theater in Ciudad Real, Spain. She was accompanied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of La Mancha.
Before that, Ms. Rodriguez received great reviews in Almeria, Spain, for her interpretation of Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro. The Andalucian press stated, “Apart from the protagonist roles also standing out are Judith Rodriguez and A. Cardenas, who have interpreted the Counts of Almaviva.”
2009 also marked her debut as a recording artist, collaborating with composer, Andres de la Torre in the soundtrack for the motion picture, This is Me (Orson, the Kid), which received a Jerry Goldsmith Award Nomination in 2010.
This versatile soprano, ended 2008 singing the title role in Opera XXI´s Production of Marina, staged by well-known director, Constantino Juri. With Opera XXI, Judith Rodriguez has been heard in such roles as Monica in The Medium, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly, Pepita in Pepita Jimenez, and just recently as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni.
In September 2008 and August 2009, she was chosen to participate in a master class under the tutelage of Italian bass, Roberto Scandiuzzi, and Argentinean stage director, Gustavo Tambascio. In July 2008, she was accepted and received a full scholarship to study with the legendary soprano, Montserrat Caballé.
In April 2008, Ms. Rodriguez sang the role of Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief, accompanied by the Lyrical Orchestra of Madrid.
Ms. Rodriguez kicked off 2008 achieving great success with Puccini´s Madame Butterfly, debuting as Cio-Cio-San with Opera XXI, which is headed by Mr. Cambreleng, General Director of Teatro Perez Galdos in Canary Islands. Spain’s oldest national newspaper, El ABC, titled their article “Luxurious Opera at the Doors of Home,” emphasizing that it was “Completely Full,” and stating, “Contrary to what happened in its premier in 1904, Madame Butterfly, yesterday, achieved to unite the assisting public...in a great applause for their representation and for this small “outing” from the scenic arts to the real world.”
Both summers of 2005 and 2006 Ms. Rodriguez was selected to study in Modena, Italy, with soprano, Mirella Freni, who also granted Ms. Rodriguez the Nicolai Ghiaurov Scholarship.
Ms. Rodriguez’s love for Zarzuela began when she sang the lead role in TCU´s La Dolorosa, under the direction of Maestro German Gutierrez. She then traveled to Spain for the first time to study Zarzuela and began as a soloist in the Dolores Marco Lyric Company. She was later invited to perform Rosa in the Spanish Operetta Los Claveles, in collaboration with UTEP, under the direction of Dr. Hugh Cardon. This production was also taken to Mexico where it received great acclaim.
Judith Rodriguez studied in Conservatorio Real de Musica de Madrid, and was licensed in Opera and Lyrical Theater from Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid en 2007. Some of her professors and tutors have been Belen Genicio, Colleen Mallette, Linda Poetschke, Judith Gans, Mar Garcia-Arribas, Madalit Lamazares, Borja Mariño y Eric Malson, and has received master classes from Roberto Scandiuzzi, Montserrat Caballé and Mirella Freni.
