Classical Singers Come Together to Honor Dominican Tenor Francisco Chaín Casanova

Santo Domingo, October 8, 2019 – The National Lyrical Company recently held a concert featuring well-known opera arias to honor Dominican tenor Francisco Chaín Casanova. The event took place on October 14 at the Palace of Fine Arts, just days after the news of his passing was announced.

The country’s top lyrical singers, members of the General Fine Arts Directorate of the Ministry of Culture, presented a concert featuring trios, duets and soloists who sang – in his honor – some of the world’s most popular arias. The special presentation ended with the full company singing “Brindis ópera marina” by E. Arrita.

The program also included arias from such musical masters as Handel, Mozart, Mascagni, Verdi, Ponchielli, Puccini, Straus and Bizet, among others. Pianists Omar Ubrí, Porfirio Mateo and Antón Fustier accompanied the singers in their specific interpretations.

Soprano Ondina Matos, director of the Company, explained that the first concert was presented on September 19, but due to popular demand the event had to be repeated.

The concerts were to honor the memory of the famed Dominican tenor who died a few weeks back in New York City, after suffering a catastrophic illness.

Ms. Matos also explained that Casanova, who studied in the country’s National Conservatory of Music under top Dominican maestros such as Rafael Sánchez Cestero, Floralba del Monte and Licinio Mancebo, developed his successful career in Germany and the United States.

However, she concluded, “…he always introduced himself as a Dominican artist.”