William Alvarado, prominent Venezuelan opera singer, dies at 72

Venezuelan opera singer William Alvarado has passed away at the age of 72 in Barcelona, Spain. Alvarado was widely regarded as one of Venezuela’s most significant lyric artists, with a career spanning over 40 years.

Born in Barquisimeto and raised in Valencia, Alvarado studied music in the United States, earning a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and pursuing postgraduate studies in vocal pedagogy at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. His professional career included performing more than thirty operatic roles and appearing with major companies across Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

In the United States, he performed with the symphonic orchestras of Dallas, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and San Francisco, as well as at Carnegie Hall in New York. Internationally, he toured extensively through Germany, Italy, England, and the Netherlands. He was also noted for his recordings with Dorian Recording and his work with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.