Abdiel Gonzalez

Baritone

Abdiel Gonzalez
Puerto Rican baritone, Abdiel Gonzalez, has been praised for his “rich, lush baritone” and for having a “superb voice, which commanded the stage.” Most recently he had the pleasure of singing the bass solos in Beethoven’s Mass in C in Rancho Palos Verdes, Beethoven’s 9th at La Sierra University as well as recording the role of Thermus in Harrison’s Young Caesar with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He played the role of Advisor in LA Opera’s Festival Play of Daniel under the baton of James Conlon as well as singing the baritone solos in Orff’s Carmina Burana with the UCLA Choral Union and Philharmonia under the baton of Lesley Leighton and then again with the Angeles Chorale.  He also sang the role of the Traveler in Britten’s Curlew River with Jacaranda as part of the Britten100/LA celebration. 

Mr. Gonzalez was excited to make his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, soloing in Stravinsky’s Renard under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen. Operatic roles performed include Mercutio in Roméo et Julliette, Shrike in the West Coast Premiere of Miss Lonelyhearts, Athanaël in Thaïs, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Pandolfe in Cendrillon, Morales in Carmen, Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Ko-Ko in The Mikado, The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, and Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. Mr. Gonzalez is proud to have performed lead roles in three Zarzuelas, an art form which he loves dearly.  These include the title role in Luis Alonso, Paquiro in Goyescas and Don Pedro in El Barberillo de Lavapies

The concert stage has seen him as a soloist in Händel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Fauré's Requiem, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C minor, Schubert’s Mass in G, Bach's St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, Vaugh William's Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Five Mystical Songs, Lizst’s Via Crucis, Brahms' Requiem, and Britten's War Requiem. He was a first place winner in the San Diego District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as in the Opera 100 Competition. He created the role of Frank Shabata in the world premiere of a new opera, Marie’s Orchard with Center Stage Opera. He also sang the role of Arman Fleuri in the world premiere of Shostakovich’s newly discovered unfinished opera Orango with the Los Angeles Philarmonic under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen. Mr. Gonzalez recently had the pleasure of singing the solos in Beethoven's 9th symphony in Veracruz, Mexico with the Orquesta de Boca del Rio under the baton of Jorge Mester for the inaugural concert of their brand new concert hall. He can also be heard in the soundtrack of many movies including Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Minions, Despicable Me 3, SING!, The Secret Life Of PetsCoco, Frozen, and Wreck-It-Ralph to name a few.