Mount Union grad, retired Met Opera singer, to teach masterclasses

Special to The Alliance Review
·2 min read
Eduardo Valdes, a University of Mount Union graduate who went on to be a principal artist at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, will return to Alliance on Sept. 22-23 to lead a masterclass.
Eduardo Valdes, a University of Mount Union graduate who went on to be a principal artist at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, will return to Alliance on Sept. 22-23 to lead a masterclass.

A renowned University of Mount Union graduate will return to the Carnation City later this month to present two nights of masterclasses.

Eduardo Valdes, a 1983 graduate and retired principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, will present at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 in Presser Recital Hall of the Cope Music Hall.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Valdes was a music major at Mount Union who initially intended to follow a career in medicine in his native Puerto Rico using music as a therapy. However, his life changed when he volunteered to help the Mount Union Concert Choir while they were on tour in Puerto Rico in 1979. There he met faculty, who heard him sing and encouraged him to audition.

At Mount Union, Valdes was a member of numerous vocal and instrumental ensembles but fell in love with opera when asked to sing the part of Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosìfan tutte for an opera workshop scene program.

After earning his bachelor of music from Mount Union, Valdes went to the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Israel Vocal Arts Institute and the Juilliard Opera Center. He made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera during the 1993-1994 season. He was a principal artist for 26 years.

Valdes has performed on the Met stage in more than 37 productions and 692 performances. He retired from the Met in 2020 and his picture hangs on the Met's Wall of Fame.

"75% of those on The Met's Wall of Fame did not start their lives thinking they would be opera singers,” said Valdes. “They found this path because they had opportunities presented to them to realize their talent."

Valdes is currently a teacher and technician at his own voice studio, the V-2 Studio in New York City, and Puerto Rico. He has also taught at the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera House and The Bel Canto Institute in Florence, Italy.

In 2015, University of Mount Union honored Valdes by presenting him with an honorary doctorate in humane letters.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Mount Union grad, retired Met Opera singer, to teach masterclasses