Gustavo Álvarez

He was born in Alacranes, Matanzas. A self-taught baritone with an extensive career on national and international stages, a virtuoso who has already accumulated more than 50 years of life devoted to this art that demands exceptional performers.

He began his artistic career as a child star on National Television in 1957. He studied singing with Zoila Gálvez, Francisco Fernández Dominicis, and Daniel Marcos.

He is a founding member of the National Lyric Theater of Cuba and the Lyric Theater of Matanzas. In the former, he was part of the chorus between 1962 and 1970 in productions of The Merry Widow, Luisa Fernanda, María la O, Los gavilanes, The Princess of the Czardas, The Marriage of Figaro, and performed small roles in The Barber of Seville and Madama Butterfly.

The following year he moved to Matanzas, participated in the founding of the Lyric Theater in that city, and starred as Pimienta in Cecilia Valdés. Later he played Lázaro in El cafetal, and participated in revivals of the Cuban titles Lola Cruz, Rosa la China, La Habana que vuelve, and especially in the premiere season of the definitive version of Amalia Batista, by R. Prats, under the author's direction (1979).

He has also excelled as Vidal in Luisa Fernanda and Juan in Los gavilanes, as well as in some operatic roles—Michele in Il tabarro, and more recently Alfio in Cavallería rusticana.

In 1991 he toured Italy (28 cities) with the International Company of Operettas Cuba-Italia directed by Carlo Rivolta. For several years now he has been performing in the zarzuela seasons at the Colsubsidio Theater in Bogotá, Colombia, where he has added to his repertoire La del soto del parral (Germán), La leyenda del beso (Mario), The Merry Widow (Danilo), La rosa del azafrán (Juan Pedro), La verbena de la Paloma (Tabernero), El Murciélago (Falke), among others.

He shared the stage with renowned performers such as Armando Pico López, Ramón Calzadilla, Alba Marina, María Remolá, and Antonio Palacios, among other well-known figures of Cuban lyric arts. He participated in the main theaters and concert halls of Cuba, as well as in the International Festivals of Lyric Art and Zarzuela, held in La Habana between 1989 and 1991.

Baritone from Matanzas Gustavo Álvarez received the White Award granted by the music section of the provincial branch of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), for lifetime achievement in 2008. The jury highlighted the value of the performer, his successes over 50 years in the national and international arena, which are backed by multiple recognitions and especially by his ties to Matanzas. This award was presented to him at the Sauto Theater, where for the first time Gustavo and his daughter Mayuley Álvarez performed as a duo, joining their voices in the performance of the classic The Merry Widow.

With the piece Lloro aún al recordarte, by Gonzalo Roig, the Papalote Theater room awarded baritone Gustavo Álvarez with the 2011 Brene Prize in its third edition. The award is granted to outstanding figures of the Matanzas stage, and on other occasions it was received by René Fernández Santana, National Theater Prize winner, and Miriam Muñoz Benítez, director of the Icarón Theater Group. The tribute was distinguished by the presence of writer Maité Vera and tenor Humberto Lara. Creators from the world of theater attended to hear the final verdict of a jury that was made up of Mercedes Fernández.