Tenor Eduardo Villa has Died, Aged 70

The American tenor appeared at a number of major European houses, as well as at the Metropolitan Opera in New York

Originally from Santa Barbara, Eduardo Villa initially wanted to be a violinist, but was introduced to classical singing through his love of musicals. After appearances in shows such as Oliver!, West Side Story, and Paint Your Wagon, Villa went to study voice at the University of Southern California, where his teachers were Martial Singher, Horst Günter, and Margaret Harshaw.

Upon winning the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 1982, Villa departed for Switzerland, where he held a contract at the Basel Opera Theater between 1983 and 1987. In 1986, he made his debut at the Paris Opéra, where he sang the role of Don Carlo, and from 1987 to 1991 he appeared at the Munich State Opera.

From 1991, Villa's career became so fruitful that he refused to extend his contract in Munich, and instead worked as a freelancer in locations such as Opera Hamilton in Canada, Carnegie Hall, the Frankfurt Opera, the Arizona Opera, and the Connecticut Opera.

In 2002, Villa began his time at The Metropolitan Opera, where he sang 25 performances in 10 different roles. These included Radames (Aida), Enzo (La Gioconda), and the titular role in Verdi's Otello.

Villa's final years were sadly marked by a lengthy battle with esophageal cancer. Our condolences to his friends, family, and colleagues.