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From Rouse Hill To The Opera House

By Bev Jordan

Internationally renowned tenor DIEGO TORRE has been honing his vocal skills in the shower at his Rouse Hill home since moving there in November.

“I sing around the house all day,” says Opera Australia’s leading tenor.

One of the first neighbours he met had knocked on the door to say how much she was enjoying listening to his voice.

“I sing every single day. It’s what I am, it’s what I do. It is part of my essence,” he told the Hills to Hawkesbury Community News.

Diego Torree Headshot H2H From Rouse Hill To The Opera House
Diego torre

Torre has a busy few months ahead with performances in the leading roles of Verdi’s opera Ernani and Puccini’s Tosca at the Sydney Opera House followed by Aida in Brisbane later in the year.

Torre, who was born in Mexico City, moved to Rouse Hill with his wife Paula and children Jethro, 4, and Johanna, 6, after living in Waterloo.

“It’s been a wonderful move,” he says “It’s a warm, happy family place.”

While COVID has been terrible, he says, it has given him much treasured time with his family at home.

“Spending time at home with my family and watching a movie or playing board games with my family are normally things that don’t happen.”

As a freelance tenor Torre appeared in lead roles in famous opera houses all over the world including Italy, Switzerland, China, Norway, Finland, Germany and across the United States including The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

“My wife and I used to have two suitcases, our base was in New York and we would just travel the world.”

He first sang with the Opera Australia in 2011.

“Since the very, very first moment everyone was very kind to us. They made us feel very welcome and we just fell in love with the values people have here and the respect they have for each other.”

He became an Australian citizen in 2016. Torre’s most celebrated roles with Opera Australia include Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Rodolfo (La bohème), The Duke (Rigoletto) and the title role in Don Carlo.

He played the lead in Opera Australia’s 2020 version of Attila, complete with a live horse on stage which was cancelled after just two performances in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Torre says being able to rehearse an opera again with the cast is “pure oxygen”.

He says Ernani was Verdi’s 5th composition and was given a different treatment. “It is fantastic to sing.”

The performance will run from February 2 to 13 and is the Australian Premiere of Sven-Eric Bechtolf’s production.

Opera Australia’s production of Puccini’s Tosca will see Torre reprise his 2017 role as Tosca’s lover Cavaradossi from February 22 to March 13. John Bell’s production features a Nazi-occupied Rome.

To find out more and to book tickets visit the Opera Australia website: opera.org.au

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