Rui de Luna

His name came into the limelight after the enormous success reached in Budapest, with Laslo Kovacs and Budapest’s Symphony Orchestra, in a program dedicated to the great Mozart’s Arias. Shortly after, he signed a ten-year contract with the renowned New York’s AIM and emerged as an international reference in the global lyric world.

Rui de Luna is a Mozartian baritone, heir of the great Italian school of lyrical singing, and disciple of Claude Thiolas, Mario del Monaco, and Lauri Volpi. His Latin character, sensual tone, excellent technique and rare musicality make him a unique artistic personality. His performances have constantly received standing ovations for his impressive presence and vibrant, expressive performances in the most critical rooms from Europe to the Far East, from Brazil to the United States.

In 1996, he recorded his first album for BMG/RCA and became the first Portuguese lyrical singer to enter the world gallery of lyrical singers that signed with a major label (RCA Gold Seal).

Recently, he headlined the festival of Alba (Italy), along with the prize Paganini Ning Feng, and his concert with the Orchestra of the State of Romania, directed by maestro Larry Vote, was memorable.

He represented Portugal in international festivals, generally accompanied by word class symphony orchestras (China, Budapest, Romania, Rome, Portugal) and directed by conductors such as Yuang Fang (China), Larry Vote (USA), Gunther Arglebe (Germany), Lászlo Kovacs (Hungary), Rafael Lopez Montez (Spain), Matss Liyfors (Sweden), and in recital with the company of pianists such as the incredibly awarded Patrizia Quarta (Verona Arena), Catherine Chu (Met New York), Stefano Gibelatto (La Fenice Veneza), Joel Bello Soares (Brasília), Scott Rednour (New York Opera), Constance Channon Douglass (Santa Cecilia Academy and Opera of Rome), Paule Grimaldi (Lisbon), and many others.

Rui de Luna received the Diploma of Artistic Merit of Brasilia (1996) and the Young Musicians of Rome Prize (Pope John Paul II). He was awarded in the following international singing contests: Paris, Di Stefano, Jaume Aragal, Mozart in Vienna and Mozart Europe.

He was a Fellow of the National Theater of S. Carlos (Lisbon) and the Italian Government.

Rui studied in Italy at the Morello Foundation (Veneto, Venice) with Maestro Claude Thiolas from 1988 to 1992 and later in Savona with Claudio Desderi and Renata Scotto at the Renata Scotto Opera Company. After that, he pursued improvement courses in London at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music with Thomas Allen, Ralf Gothoni and Sherril Milnes and at the Paris Opera with Claude Thiolas.

He studied Mozartian repertoire with Paulo Valetti (Theater of Como), Eduardo Lanza (Busseto Academy), Claudio Desderi (Scotto Opera Company), Ileana Cotrubas (Palace of Mateus), and Patrizia Quarta (Arena Verona).

Among his repertoire are The Count, Giovanni, Leporello, Guglielmo (Cosi Fan Tutte), Requiem and the Coronation Mass of Mozart, Escamillo (Carmen), Amonasro (Aida), Germont (Traviatta), Marcelo (Boheme), Guglielmo (Le Villi), Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, among many others.

His passion for the lyrical-popular repertoire led him to create “Alma Latina”, which made its world premiere in 2014 in the Cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon in a memorable concert.

At the Music Festival of the Casa de Bragança Foundation in Vila Viçosa, Rui de Luna premiered the Camoneanas in 2015 and the Amelianas in 2016. In 2019, at the Vila Viçosa Paço Ducal, he premiered “D.Maria II”, a concert celebrating the Bicentenary of the birth of the Portuguese Queen D.Maria II. In 2019, the Luso Concerto program premiered at Teatro São Luís to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Navy Academy.

Rui de Luna began his piano studies at the age of five and singing at the age of sixteen. Besides singing, he shares another passion in music, the composition for the piano, with numerous works already presented in public. Rui de Luna recently wrote the piece for “Carta de Pêro Vaz de Caminha”, which premiered at the grand auditorium of Torre do Tombo, Lisbon. He received the High Sponsorship of His Excellency the President of the Republic.

On the “Saisons Croisée Portugal – France 2022” Season, Rui will present a concert to open Joana Vasconcelos exhibition at Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes in Paris.