GM Biography
Giancarlo Monsalve Leyton :
(Giancarlo Monsalve) is globally recognized as one of the most versatile and secure leading lirico spinto tenors of his generation, acclaimed for his vocal mastery, acting skills applied on the most demanding operatic repertoire. Since his absolute debut in the 2006 season of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Italy, Giancarlo Monsalve has been invited as Leading Tenor guest on some of the world's most prestigious stages, including the Zurich Opera House; the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London; Teatro Regio of Turin; the Arena di Verona; the National Opera of Greece; l'Opera Nice Côte d'Azur; Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich; the Washington National Opera; the Seoul Arts Center; Sferisterio of Macerata; The Dallas Opera; Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon; Municipal Theatre of São Paulo; Wielki Opera of Warsaw; Deutsche Oper am Rhein; Oper Köln; Staatsoper Hannover; Oper Leipzig; NCPA National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai; Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile; the Hong Kong Opera; Royal Opera House of the Sultanate of Oman in Muscat; among others. He has collaborated with renowned conductors and stage directors, and has received numerous awards and honors for his exceptional talent.
Monsalve's performances have been broadcast on radio and TV stations, as well as in cinemas, reaching a global audience. He made his cinema debut in 2015 with the live streaming of the opera Carmen. He has also been featured in numerous television and radio programs and shows, including interviews, news segments, concerts, and complete operas.
In addition to his successful career as a performer, Monsalve has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the arts. He was named Cultural Ambassador by the government of Chile and the city of Valparaíso and received the UNESCO Medal. He was also awarded the 35th Golden Mascagni by the Mascagnian Committee of Bagnara di Romagna, and was nominated for the Maria Callas Artist of the Year 2016 by Broadway World Magazine and the Dallas Opera.
In 2020, Master Giancarlo Monsalve established The Old School of Singing Academy, where he imparts his own unique Singing Methodology (The Monsalve Leyton Method) that blends and revives the technical traditions and methodologies of a generational wealth of vocal expertise passed generation by generation: Arturo Melocchi; Del Monaco; Manuel Garcia; Campogalliani. More information on www.theoldschoolofsinging.com
Giancarlo Monsalve's talent, passion, and dedication to the art of opera have earned him a place among the world's leading tenors.
(Read the critics and find the original links here)
Recent performances before and after COVID Pandemic:
2019 La Forza del Destino at Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile, Carmen at the Seoul Arts Center.
2022 Otello, State Opera Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, Roman Amphitheatre 'Augusta Traiana'.
Early life and studies
Born in Valparaíso, Chile, Monsalve began his studies of fine arts at the School of "Bellas Artes", Monsalve began his musical studies in 2001 at the Conservatory Izidor Handler Viña del Mar with soprano Nora Lopez Von Vriessen (Ex student of Gina Cigna and Maria Caniglia). Since 2004, Monsalve continued to improve his technique in Italy with soprano Mirella Freni and bass Leodino Ferri, on the path of Ettore Campogalliani and Arturo Melocchi school. Monsalve had masterclasses with with soprano Montserrat Caballé and tenors Gianfranco Cecchele, Corneliu Murgu, Lando Bartolini, Dano Raffanti and Nicola Martinucci. He has been scenically trained with actor and Chilean director Juan Edmundo González del Valle and Hollywood Stars Coach Bernard Hiller.
Collaborations
Monsalve has worked with conductors such as: Patrick Fournillier; Yves Abel; Nayden Todorov; Riccardo Muti; Carlo Rizzi; Paolo Carignani; Xian Zhang; Antonello Allemandi; Oleg Caetani; Julian Kovatchev; Roberto Rizzi Brignoli; Carlo Montanaro; Jean-Yves Ossonce; Frank Beermann.
He has also worked with stage directors such as: Hugo De Ana; Francesca Zambello; Jean-Romain Vesperini; Patrice Caurier et Moshe Leiser; Giancarlo del Monaco; Gianni Quaranta; Peter Konwitschny; Lorenzo Mariani; Mario de Carlo; Gianfranco de Bosio; Liliana Cavani; Garnett Bruce; Alberto Triola; Stephen Langridge; Carlos Wagner.
Awards and Honors
● (Honor)
・ On August 11, 2010 the Government of Chile together with the city of Valparaíso have named Giancarlo Monsalve as Cultural Ambassador conferring him the UNESCO Medal.
● (Award)
・ On December 6, 2015 the Mascagnian Committee of Bagnara di Romagna, awarded Giancarlo Monsalve with the 35th Golden Mascagni.
● (Nomination)
・ In June 2016 Giancarlo Monsalve was one of 22 nominated by the Broadway World Magazine and the Dallas Opera for the prize (Maria Callas Artist of the Year 2016) for his Mario Cavaradosi in the Opera Tosca. The award was finally delivered to the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato
Cinema, Radio and TV
● (Cinema)
・ On July 15, 2015 Giancarlo Monsalve made his debut in cinemas of the whole European continent with Live Streaming of the Opera Carmen and from December 2015 projected in the major cinemas of the world.
● (Radio and TV)
・ Giancarlo Monsalve was featured in some of the most important World television and radio programs and shows, with personal interviews, news, concerts and complete operas.
Updated on February 2020 please delete every previous version.
Vocal Technique
There are no limits to learn
First of all you have to know from where it comes the legacy of your knowledge, and the results of who gave you this legacy to later make one on your own.
Your goals have to be always unreachably high, because if you have reachable goals, once you're on the Top you can only start your fall, but if it is unreachable, you can just go higher and higher. That's why I love Arts in general, there are no limits. Giancarlo.
The press said
❝ The admirable technique of Monsalve, a technique from the old school that allows him to prop his vocal emission firmly to build a vibrant sound, ample, safe and that runs with brightness, despite its natural baritone dark accents. This is a true spinto Tenor, from a good school, with timbral flashes of ilk singers as Mario Del Monaco and with full awareness of his instrument and what he can achieve with it, giving him a personal identity that seeks no imitation. by José Noé Mercado www.proopera.org.mx MEXICO ❞ ／ ❝ Monsalve collects the expressive force of some reference Otellos to draw his own: the animality and torment of Ramon Vinay, the strength and sonorous brilliance of Mario Del Monaco (with that steady emission and blade cutting sonorous trebles) and the scenic ductility of Plácido Domingo. by José Luis Arredondo www.tuiteroscultura.com CHILE ❞ ／ ❝ Giancarlo Monsalve, whose voice of strength left to underlie an acquired technique skill of the Italian traditional school (Del Monaco. Cecchele, Corelli) But capable of precious mezze voici by Aldo Mattina www.ivespri.com ITALY ❞
In the eternal study and research of the "Arte Canora" Monsalve studied with
 |
Nicola Martinucci
Italian Tenor former student of Marcello Del Monaco. |
 |
Gianfranco Cecchele
Italian Tenor former student of Mario and Marcello Del Monaco |
 |
Corneliu Murgu
Romanian Tenor former student of Mario Del Monaco |
 |
Leodino Ferri
Italian Bass. One of the last direct former students of Maestro Arturo Melocchi. |
 |
Montserrat Caballé
Spanish Soprano, former student of the Wagnerian Singer Eugenia Kemeny who has teached her the superb "Fiato" technique that made her famous in the world. |
 |
Giancarlo Del Monaco
Italian Regisseur, son of the legendary Tenor Mario Del Monaco. |
 |
Lando Bartolini
Italian Tenor former student of the MET Bass Nicola Moscona. |
 |
Dano Raffanti
Italian Tenor former student of the famous musicologist, critic and voice teacher Rodolfo Celletti. |
 |
Mirella Freni
Italian Soprano former student of Ettore Campogalliani |
 |
Mario Barrientos
Chilean Tenor former student of the Tenor Carlos Santelices. |
 |
Nora Lopez Von Vriessen
Chilean Soprano former student of the Legendary Sopranos Gina Cigna and Maria Caniglia. |
The press said
❝ He was very good at showing his trembling emotions with the finest techniques that let him sing from fortissimo to pianissimo. by Park Sun-young star.ohmynews.com SOUTH KOREA ❞ ／ ❝ Giancarlo Monsalve, with high stage presence, clear phrasing and smooth timbre richly nuanced, has sung involved in passion. Singer with proven technical skills and interpretive revived the fibrillating emotions of Cavaradossi up to the killing of this. by Renzo Bellardone www.scrissidarte.it ITALY ❞ ／ ❝ Chilean tenor Giancarlo Monsalve delivers a full-throated and testosterone-laden Don José in the tradition of singers like Mario del Monaco. by Peter Gordon www.asianreviewofbooks.com HONG KONG ❞ ／ ❝ Giancarlo Monsalve. He is an excellent Pollione, with a strong, virile, bronze-like tenor with high Italianate coloring in abundance. He has an enviably easy vocal power by Greg Stepanich www.palmbeachartspaper.com USA ❞ ／ ❝ With his singing spoke freely, revealing musicality and good taste using many pianissimo, and mezzavoce. by Cyril Veselago Кирилл Веселаго www.operanews.ru RUSSIA ❞
Acting Skills
You can not just play a character, you have to live it and feel it!
It is impossible to transmit emotions if you do not feel them (Logically keeping your consciousness of the real world). If you live your character on stage, the audience will feel it and forget that they are watching an opera and they will feel part of that parallel world that we bring to life on stage. That's the difference between performer and artist. Trying to give emotions without feeling them, is like trying to give money to someone when you have no money. Giancarlo.
The press said
❝ The so-called "Moor of Venice", Otello, perfectly played by the Chilean tenor Giancarlo Monsalve, loved, hated and suffered, managing to share his feelings with the audience that filled the theater. After the end of the opera the audience applauded for long minutes by Daniela Bueno www.diarioelcentro.cl CHILE ❞ ／ ❝ Giancarlo Monsalve, triumphant success. Even purely from an external ideal personification he possesses, the young tenor is a perfect performer. Theatrically, he made the inner conflict, from the conservative soldiers to the powered, desperate lover impressively traceable. During the performance he was showered with bravos, as the final applause. A tenor of world class, which you need to hear! by Claus Brandt www.deropernfreund.de GERMANY ❞ ／ ❝ His José was by far the best that I've ever heard live. He makes the development from the conservative sergeant to the madness of the lover corroded by the contempt tremendously clear. His Flower Song (with piano!) Was built incredibly thrilling and damn clever. For this purpose, he was a highly great performer. A great career in the dramatic spinto specialist should be nothing in the way! by Michaela Koch & Anke Hartmann www.mittelloge.de GERMANY ❞
Giancarlo Monsalve was trained in acting by
 |
Bernard Hiller
American acting teacher, producer, writer, and success coach. |
 |
Juan Edmundo Gonzalez del Valle
Chilean Actor and Theatre Director. |
The press said
❝ The Moorish that interprets the tenor born in Valparaiso, Giancarlo Monsalve, reflects all the atavistic animality of the character and, at the same time, its defenselessness before the intrigue of the envious, and power hungry, Iago. by José Luis Arredondo www.tuiteroscultura.com CHILE ❞ ／ ❝ Chilean tenor Giancarlo Monsalve with an exceptional voice and acting abilities - said before the premier, "at times I got goosebumps from the beauty of music and emotion". by Asta Andrikonytė www.lrytas.lt LITHUANIA ❞ ／ ❝ In the character of Don José, the handsome tenor Chilean Giancarlo Monsalve found biunique harmony between enamel of timbre and acting. by Maurizio Sesto Giordano www.cronacaoggi.it ITALY ❞ ／ ❝ Monsalve has a fine big voice, a very handsome presence and is a fine actor. by Cecilia Xuereb www.independent.com.mt MALTA ❞ ／ ❝ Giancarlo Monsalve in the role of Turiddu, with beautiful stage presence, no doubt he has a high quality material, good stage instincts and the role of the lover and passionate Latin it fits like a glove. by Mirko Bertolini www.teatro.it ITALY ❞ ／ ❝ Monsalve delivered acting in spades, giving us a sexy and then tormented Alvaro. by Greg Marzullo www.washingtonblade.com USA ❞
