Amanda Batista & Myra Huang

“Her tone sparkled with the freshness of youth, offering robust strength at the top to electrify musical climaxes.” Washington Classical Review “Ever-elegant pianist Myra Huang combined beauty of line with liveliness and humor as the songs required, whether in supportive or assertive moments.” The Boston Music Intelligencer The Perman Emerging Artist Recital series welcomes soprano Amanda Batista and a Vocal Arts favorite, pianist Myra Huang, in a vibrant and sun-drenched program celebrating the rich traditions of Spanish and Latin American song. Ranging across the Iberian peninsula and the Americas, the evening’s repertoire draws on a remarkable constellation of composers — Xavier Montsalvatge, Ernesto Lecuona, Manuel Fernández Caballero, Héctor Campos Parsi, and Carlos López Buchardo, among others — whose music weaves together folk melody, rhythmic vitality, and an irresistible warmth of spirit. These are songs that dance and sigh, that conjure moonlit plazas and tropical breezes, and that reward listeners with some of the most immediately beguiling music in song. Batista brings to this colorful program a voice of natural radiance and expressive charm, matched by Huang’s sensitive and stylistically assured pianism. Together, they share the storytelling from a body of music that remains too rarely heard on the concert stage. Music by Xavier Montsalvatge, Ernesto Lecuona, Manuel Fernández Caballero, Héctor Campos Parsi, and Carlos López Buchardo. *Selections subject to change* Puerto Rican Cuban American soprano Amanda Batista launches her 2025-26 season with a return to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Helen in the season opening premiere of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, composed by Mason Bates and libretto by Gene Scheer, which will be conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and directed by Bartlett Sher. Additional duties with the illustrious company include covering the role of Musetta in the iconic Franco Zeffirelli production of La bohème under the baton of Keri-Lynn Wilson. She joins the roster at the Lyric Opera of Chicago to cover the role of Catrina in Gabriela Lena Frank’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego with the artistic team of conductor Roberto Kalb and director Lorena Maza. The lirico-spinto soprano will make her role and company debut as Nedda in Pagliacci with Minnesota Opera led by Christopher Franklin. Batista wraps up the 2024-25 season with a highly anticipated role debut of Micaëla in Carmen with Wolf Trap Opera, under the direction of John de los Santos and conducted by José Luis Gómez. Earlier in the season, Batista made her debut at The Atlanta Opera as Mimì in La bohème with a creative team that included director Tomer Zvulun, conductor James Lowe, and designer Vita Tzykun. She returned to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the High Priestess in Michael Mayer’s new production of Aida led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and covered the role of Berta in the return of Bartlett Sher’s production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia with conductor Giacomo Sagripanti in the pit. Additionally, Ms. Batista was a featured soloist alongside Frederica von Stade, Joshua Hopkins, and Ben Bliss in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s 55th Emerald Anniversary Gala at Alice Tully Hall. Ms. Batista had the distinct honor of receiving the 2025 Hildegard Behrens Foundation Award. Highlights from recent seasons include Batista’s role debut as Mimì in the revival of John Caird’s production of La bohème at Wolf Trap Opera with Grant Gershon leading the National Symphony Orchestra in the Filene Center to a capacity crowd of over seven-thousand. While at the company she also performed ¡Te Adoro!, a concert of love songs from Spain and Latin America, with Steven Blier at the piano. Ms. Batista made two role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera: First Lady in Julie Taymor’s production of The Magic Flute and Bianca in Nicolas Joël’s production of La Rondine led by Speranza Scappucci, the latter of which was broadcast around the globe in cinemas via The Met: Live in HD series. Further highlights of the season included a concert of Puccini and Rossini with Academie de l’Opera National de Paris at the Opéra Bastille, and appearing as the soprano soloist in Dvořák’s Te Deum with Colorado’s Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Charles Latshaw in a concert that also included orchestral songs “Morgen” and “Cäcilie” by Richard Strauss. Ms. Batista made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2022-23 season singing High Priestess in Aida under the baton of Paolo Carignani in the farewell performances of Sonja Frisell’s monumental production that had seen over 240 performances at the company and she covered the role of Clotilde in Norma under the baton of Maurizio Benini. Additional appearances that season included singing the role of Elettra in Idomeneo at the Aspen Music Festival under the direction of Francesca Zambello and conductor Robert Spano; artist in residency wi