Tenor, Jorge Javier Garza-Villegas was born in Monterrey, Mexico. He began his musical studies at 8 years of age upon entering the Houston Boys Choir. Over the next 5 years he was a featured soloist on concert tours to New York, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, as well as Scotland and England when at age 12 he sang Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate in Saint Paul's Cathedral in London. A natural gift for modern and atonal music became apparent when he sang the Houston Premiere of George Crumb's Ancient Voices of Children. His first operatic role soon followed as Amahl in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. He began studies in classical ballet at 13 and at 15, while a student at Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Jorge was awarded a scholarship at Tanglewood's BUTI program. Performing in the musical theater genre was as a natural progression of his artistic development. He was accepted to Carnegie Mellon's pre-college theater program and subsequently invited to Saratoga Springs, New York as a scholarship student at the renowned Briansky Ballet Center.
At 17, Jorge was accepted to and began studies at The Juilliard School of music as an undergraduate Vocal-Performance Major. While at Juilliard, Jorge worked under the tutelage of director Frank Corsaro and conductors Zubin Mehta and Julius Rudel. An invitation to Glimmerglass Opera as a summer young artist afforded him the opportunity to work with directors Jonathan Miller and Mark Lamos. At 21, Jorge completed his undergraduate studies and was admitted on full scholarship to Manhattan School of Music's Graduate Vocal Program. At Manhattan he teamed with director Stephen Wadsworth singing the lead role in the North-American Premiere of Alexander Goehr's Tryptich. The following year he worked with director James Robinson in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride singing the role of Pylade. While still a student at Manhattan, Jorge was accepted into the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program where he worked with directors John Copley and Francesca Zambello. The summer culminated in the Apprentice Showcase where he was seen and heard by Los Angeles Opera and invited into their Young Artist Residency Program. While at LA Opera, Jorge understudied Ramon Vargas, as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore collaborating with Stephen Lawless in this production. Among his mainstage roles were Eurimaco in Pierre Audi's Netherlands Opera production of Il Ritorno d'Ulysses sharing the stage with Frederica von Stade and Thomas Allen, the role of Raul in the World Premiere of Lee Holdridge's Journey to Cordoba as well as the Burrowing Mole in Tobias Picker's American Premiere of Fantastic Mr. Fox. A summer season at Wolftrap Opera immediately followed where he sang Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni conducted by Jonathan Keenan, and the role of Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare conducted by Patrick Summers and collaborating with such musicians as Craig Rutenberg and Steven Blier in Wolftrap's summer concert series. The prestigious Merola Opera Program of the San Francisco Opera was next, where he again collaborated with director John Copley, singing the role of Count Almaviva in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. At the season ending Grand Finale Concert, Jorge was awarded the Richard F. Gold Shoshana Foundation Award.
After distinguished student and apprenticeship achievements, the inauguration of a professional career was assured. Jorge was invited by director Stephen Lawless to sing the role of Don Polidoro in Mozart's La Finta Semplice, with the Potsdamer Musikfestspiele at castle Sanssouci in Potsdam, Germany marking his german debut. His professional debut in France came with the Orchestra National de Lyon as Tenor soloist in Cherubini's Missa Solemnis as well as his debut with Opera de Monte Carlo as Sir Hervey in Bellini's Anna Bolena. A movement into leading roles was evident by engagements with New Jersey Opera as Almaviva with Rhoda Levine directing, West Bay Opera as Tamino, Festival Opera as Lysander in Midsummer Night's Dream conducted by Michael Morgan, at the Caramoor Festival understudying Carlo in Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix conducted by Will Crutchfield which led to an invitation by Maestro Crutchfield to sing Ernesto in Don Pasquale directed by Chuck Hudson with Connecticut Grand Opera, as Florville in Rossinni's Il Signor Bruschino with Gotham Chamber Opera conducted by Neal Goren, and finally in the title role in Lowell Liebermann's The Picture of Dorian Gray in another World Premiere (chamber orchestra version) at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia with Center City Opera Theater.
In 2008 Jorge began a 2 year fest-position with Theater für Niedersachsen in Hildesheim, Germany. Jorge debuted the role of Belmonte in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Don Narcisco in Rossini's Il Turco in Italia, Fenton in Nicolai's Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, René-Graf d'Estrades, in Leo Fall's Madame Pompadour, and Prinz Sou-Chong in Lehar's Das Land des Lächelns. Spielzeit 2009/2010 highlights included debuts as Alfred in Die Fledermaus as well as critical acclaim for his portrayal of Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress (Karriere des Wüstlings).
The 2010/2011 season schedule includes Gastengagements with Theater Krefeld, and Theater für Niedersachsen as Marquis de Chateauneuf in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmermann, more Alfreds in Fledermaus, his debut in Las Palmas, Spain as Belmonte in Entführung, as well as a return to Center City Opera Theater in Philadelphia for the World Premiere of pulitzer prize winning composer Paul Moravec's, Danse Russe, where he will portray russian ballet choreographer Ninjinsky.
At 17, Jorge was accepted to and began studies at The Juilliard School of music as an undergraduate Vocal-Performance Major. While at Juilliard, Jorge worked under the tutelage of director Frank Corsaro and conductors Zubin Mehta and Julius Rudel. An invitation to Glimmerglass Opera as a summer young artist afforded him the opportunity to work with directors Jonathan Miller and Mark Lamos. At 21, Jorge completed his undergraduate studies and was admitted on full scholarship to Manhattan School of Music's Graduate Vocal Program. At Manhattan he teamed with director Stephen Wadsworth singing the lead role in the North-American Premiere of Alexander Goehr's Tryptich. The following year he worked with director James Robinson in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride singing the role of Pylade. While still a student at Manhattan, Jorge was accepted into the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program where he worked with directors John Copley and Francesca Zambello. The summer culminated in the Apprentice Showcase where he was seen and heard by Los Angeles Opera and invited into their Young Artist Residency Program. While at LA Opera, Jorge understudied Ramon Vargas, as Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore collaborating with Stephen Lawless in this production. Among his mainstage roles were Eurimaco in Pierre Audi's Netherlands Opera production of Il Ritorno d'Ulysses sharing the stage with Frederica von Stade and Thomas Allen, the role of Raul in the World Premiere of Lee Holdridge's Journey to Cordoba as well as the Burrowing Mole in Tobias Picker's American Premiere of Fantastic Mr. Fox. A summer season at Wolftrap Opera immediately followed where he sang Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni conducted by Jonathan Keenan, and the role of Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare conducted by Patrick Summers and collaborating with such musicians as Craig Rutenberg and Steven Blier in Wolftrap's summer concert series. The prestigious Merola Opera Program of the San Francisco Opera was next, where he again collaborated with director John Copley, singing the role of Count Almaviva in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. At the season ending Grand Finale Concert, Jorge was awarded the Richard F. Gold Shoshana Foundation Award.
After distinguished student and apprenticeship achievements, the inauguration of a professional career was assured. Jorge was invited by director Stephen Lawless to sing the role of Don Polidoro in Mozart's La Finta Semplice, with the Potsdamer Musikfestspiele at castle Sanssouci in Potsdam, Germany marking his german debut. His professional debut in France came with the Orchestra National de Lyon as Tenor soloist in Cherubini's Missa Solemnis as well as his debut with Opera de Monte Carlo as Sir Hervey in Bellini's Anna Bolena. A movement into leading roles was evident by engagements with New Jersey Opera as Almaviva with Rhoda Levine directing, West Bay Opera as Tamino, Festival Opera as Lysander in Midsummer Night's Dream conducted by Michael Morgan, at the Caramoor Festival understudying Carlo in Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix conducted by Will Crutchfield which led to an invitation by Maestro Crutchfield to sing Ernesto in Don Pasquale directed by Chuck Hudson with Connecticut Grand Opera, as Florville in Rossinni's Il Signor Bruschino with Gotham Chamber Opera conducted by Neal Goren, and finally in the title role in Lowell Liebermann's The Picture of Dorian Gray in another World Premiere (chamber orchestra version) at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia with Center City Opera Theater.
In 2008 Jorge began a 2 year fest-position with Theater für Niedersachsen in Hildesheim, Germany. Jorge debuted the role of Belmonte in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Don Narcisco in Rossini's Il Turco in Italia, Fenton in Nicolai's Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, René-Graf d'Estrades, in Leo Fall's Madame Pompadour, and Prinz Sou-Chong in Lehar's Das Land des Lächelns. Spielzeit 2009/2010 highlights included debuts as Alfred in Die Fledermaus as well as critical acclaim for his portrayal of Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress (Karriere des Wüstlings).
The 2010/2011 season schedule includes Gastengagements with Theater Krefeld, and Theater für Niedersachsen as Marquis de Chateauneuf in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmermann, more Alfreds in Fledermaus, his debut in Las Palmas, Spain as Belmonte in Entführung, as well as a return to Center City Opera Theater in Philadelphia for the World Premiere of pulitzer prize winning composer Paul Moravec's, Danse Russe, where he will portray russian ballet choreographer Ninjinsky.
