Romano Splinter

The baritone was born in Havana.

A graduate of the Instituto de Perfeccionamiento Vocal de Chicago, he began his artistic career around 1934, the year he participated in a production of Rigoletto at the Principal de la Comedia theater, alongside Guatemalan soprano Mercedes Girón, who was residing in Havana, and tenor Rafael Bermudo.

He also performed the character of Juan in Los gavilanes during those years. In 1942 he was part of the cast that premiered Kabelia, by Sánchez de Fuentes.

He participated in numerous concerts with the Havana-based Orquesta Sinfónica and Orquesta Filarmónica, singing in the first Cuban performances of important works from the vocal symphonic repertoire —Brahms' German Requiem (1944)—.

In 1971 he made his debut at the Teatro Lírico Nacional de Cuba in the Cuban premiere of the opera Halka by Moniuszko (1971). In the same company he performed the characters of Chicho in Patria by Hubert de Blanck; Germont (La traviata), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Tonio and Silvio (Los payasos) and ensured the teaching of a new generation of lyric singers at the Instituto Superior de Arte.

In 1979 he performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in a concert by the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional.

Romano Splínter died in his native city on April 18, 1996.