Armando Pico López

Armando Pico López. Tenor. Founding member of the National Lyric Theater of Cuba. In zarzuelas and operettas, genres in which he excels due to his excellent acting abilities.

Born in Havana. He began his music studies with baritone Joaquín Baralt, continued them with tenor José Ojeda, and concluded them with Romanian soprano Ana Talmaceanu.

He began in 1952 as an amateur artist in the Galician Artistic Group —Amad al pobre, La del soto del parral and Katiuska, by Sorozábal—.

1953-He performed the zarzuelas Amad al pobre at the Auditorium Theater (now Amadeo Roldán Auditorium Theater), and in the Galician Artistic Group La del Soto del Parral.
1955-He premiered at the National Theater (now Gran Teatro de La Habana) the song by Ernesto Lecuona Yo nada puedo hacer, and by the same composer, he performed on January 12, 1956 at the theater of the Normal School for Teachers of Havana, El cafetal.
1957-He premiered on television Goyescas, by Spanish composer Enrique Granados on September 25.
1958-He makes his professional debut in the Spanish zarzuela company of Aguilá Martelo —La alegría de la huerta, Los gavilanes—. He performed the comic opera Don Pasquale by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti at the Auditorium Theater.
1960-He sings the opera Don Pasquale for the Pro Arte Musical Society and joins the cast of the premiere of the definitive version of Cecilia Valdés at the Payret Theater in (1961).
1961-He inaugurated at the Payret Theater in Havana the zarzuela season, and also the first opera season, performing La traviata by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi.
1962-He stars in some operas —La traviata, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, La esclava— and, above all, zarzuelas and operettas, genres in which he excels due to his excellent acting abilities —La verbena de la Paloma, Luisa Fernanda, La viuda alegre, Cecilia Valdés, María la O, La princesa de las czardas—.

He also worked in the revival of La casita criolla by Villoch and Anckermann (Amadeo Roldán theater, 1963) and performed numerous times on television. As a performer of popular song, he also appeared in the media as well as in nightclubs throughout the country.

Between July and August 1965 he toured the Soviet Union. In 1967 he participated in the First Song Festival of Varadero.

Characters he has performed
Since his debut in 1953, Armando Pico starred in the leading roles of:
Madame Butterfly
Tosca
La viuda alegre
La princesa de las Czardas
Eva
La casta Susana
Marina
Luisa Fernanda
Los gavilanes
La leyenda del beso
La alegría de la huerta
La verbena de la paloma
Soledad y La hija del sol

By Cuban composers:
José Mauri Esteve, La esclava
Gonzalo Roig, Cecilia Valdés
Ernesto Lecuona, María la O
Rodrigo Prats, Amalia Batista.

In 1981 he moved to Spain, and later to the United States. There he has participated extensively in the productions of Pro Arte GRATELI Society, Miami, the city where he currently resides.