Studies

Pianist and Singer Fernando Araujo was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he began studying the Piano at the age of seven and Composition at eleven. At the age of twelve he sang the role of the Third Spirit in Mozart´s The Magic Flute in his native city with Ópera Minaz. He graduated in Piano and Voice at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, and at the Mozarteum Salzburg, where his teachers were Menahem Pressler and Hans Leygraf (Piano), Gyorgy Sebok (Chamber Music), James King, Lilian Sukis, Carlos Montanè and Boris Bakow (Voice), Breda Zakontik and Wolfgang Holzmair (Lied und Oratorium).

Artistic career as vocal coach and accompanist

At Indiana University he was vocal coach for the class of legendary soprano and teacher Virginia Zeani. He played for the Ceremony of Induction to the Title Kammersängerin to Grace Bumbry at the Federal Chancellery in Vienna (2003), accompanied Diana Damrau in her Mahler CD-presentation during the Salzburg Festival (2004), and his former teacher, tenor Carlos Montanè in recitals.  

Fernando Araujo had the honour to accompany soprano Barbara Bonney in her song recitals, their cooperation includes concerts at the Cultural Center in Bangkok, at the Verbier Festival, at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco (where he replaced Maestro André Previn on short notice), and at the Darmstadt Opera for her Career Anniversary.

At the Auditório Nacional de Música de Madrid he accompanied Isabel Rey and Ruggero Raimondi in a benefit concert, having also the honour to sing a duet with the great basso.

He played also for masterclasses of Maurizio Arena, Martina Arroyo, Horiana Branisteanu, Wolfgang Brendel, Joan Dornemann, Irina Gavrilovici, Bonaldo Giaiotti, Wolfgang Holzmair, Christa Ludwig, Angelika Kirschlager, Teresa Kubiac, Bruno Pola, Bruno Rigacci, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Margaret Singer, Giorgio Tozzi, Patricia Wise and Rolando Villazón, a.o.  He was also vocal coach for the Young Singers Project of the Salzburg Festival working together with Barbara Bonney, Marjana Lipovsek and Evamaria Wieser.

Artistic career as baritone

Fernando Araujo leads a parallel career as a baritone. He attended the young artists programs of the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and the Verbier Festival, where he had the honour to sing in Dame Kiri Te Kanawa´s recital.

Career highlights include collaborations as soloist with conductors such as Fabio Luisi, Dennis Russell Davies and Hans Graf, in roles as follows:

• Escamillo at the Lithuanian National Opera (Regie Arnaud Bernard, Conductor Robertas Servenikas),
• Papageno at the Munich Philharmonie (with the Immling Festival, Regie Ludwig Baumann, Conductor Cornelia von Kerssenbrock), 
• Rigoletto in the Festival Winds of Baikal in Russia (Conductor Ilmar Lapinsch), Marcello with MusicArtes Manila in Samsung Hall (Regie Anton Juan),
• Gianni Schicchi at the Perm Opera & Ballet Theatre (Regie Nina Wörb, Conductor Artem Abashev).

He participated as guest in many productions of the Opera Department of the Mozarteum University Salzburg:

• Marcello in La Bohème (Regie Hermann Keckeis, Conductor Gernot Sahler),
• Escamillo in Carmen (Regie Alexander von Pfeil) and
• Albert Serra in Manfred Trojahn´s Die Limonen aus Sizilien (Regie Mascha Pörzgen, Conductor Kai Röhrig).

With the Mozart Opera Institute he sang the title hero in Le Nozze di Figaro (Regie Eike Gramss, Conductor Josef Wallnig).

Also active in concert repertoire, he sang the baritone solo in Carl Orff´s Carmina Burana with the Bad Reichenhaller Philharmonie in the Grosses Festspielhaus and with the Philharmonie Salzburg in the Felsenreitschule.

In 2020 he sang the baritone solo in Beethoven´s Ninth Symphony with the Philharmonie Salzburg under the baton of Elisabeth Fuchs and returns to the Perm Opera & Ballet Theatre as Marcello in Puccini´s La Bohème (Regie Philipp Himmelmann, Conductor Artem Abashev).

Fernando Araujo is soloist of the Salzburger Konzertgesellschaft and Philharmonie Salzburg, Prizewinner of the Grandi Voci International Singing Competition

Teaching career

Since 2002 Fernando works as Senior Lecturer and Vocal Coach at the Mozarteum University Opera Department and Master´s vocal programs. He counts among his graduates winners of international competitions singing in leading theaters and festivals – among others internationally acclaimed soprano Christiane Karg (Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera).

Other positions held

Fernando Araujo Artistic Director of Mozart Dinner Concert, Co-Founder of the Amadeus International Culture Committee and Curator of Goodwill through the Arts within the cooperation between the Perm Opera & Ballet Theatre and the Mozarteum University Salzburg.

We are honored by the exceptional participation of the wonderful baritone and Senior Lecturer and Vocal Coach Fernando Araujo in the International Xmas Carols & Masterpieces Competition’s Jury.

More about Prof. Fernando Araujo here.