Agustín Villalba

Tenor.
Born in La Habana.

Tenor, member of the Teatro Lírico Nacional de Cuba, during the decades from 1960 to 1980.

In his youth he pursued musical studies at the Conservatorio Municipal de La Habana, with Fe Castillo, Dolores Acosta, Georgina Losa and voice studies with José Ojeda.

He worked intensely as a soloist in churches, synagogues and masonic temples. He won first prize in a television program for amateurs (1954). He performed in the Compañía de Pous y Sanabria (Teatro Martí, 1961-65) and participated in the season of the Consejo Nacional de Cultura (Payret theater, 1961), interpreting Fernando in Doña Francisquita.

Two years later he played the role of Alfredo, in La casita criolla, by Anckermann, presented at the teatro Amadeo Roldán, during the II Festival de Música Popular Cubana and participated in the mass for Lecuona's death at the Iglesia de la Merced, that same year.

In 1968 he debuted at the Teatro Lírico Nacional interpreting the role of Cavaradossi, in Tosca. He was a spinto lyric tenor with a broad and sonorous voice, blessed with an enviable fiatto. From his time with the capital company, his performances in Il trovatore, Madama Butterfly, La traviata and Halka are remembered, the latter in the functions of its absolute premiere in Latin America (1971). He also interpreted some roles in Spanish zarzuelas—La leyenda del beso, La del soto del parral, Los gavilanes and Marina—, as well as Leonardo Gamboa, in Cecilia Valdés.

Between 1961 and 1963, he participated in television productions of the operas Aida (Radamés); Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu) and Il tabarro (Luigi).

Villalba died in his native city on February 13, 2005.