Ibero-American Songs [Alma]

SOMM Recordings is delighted to explore the fascinating and largely unknown repertoire of Ibero-American art songs. A shared passion for showcasing hidden gems of Latin American song inspired Colombian soprano Julieth Lozano Rolong and Portuguese pianist João Araújo, who began their collaboration while studying at the Royal College of Music. Julieth received the 2018 RCM President's Award, presented to her by the RCM’s President, King Charles III. She won the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Audience Prize at the 2023 Cardiff Singer of the World competition and was recently named one of Opera Wire’s Top Ten Rising Stars. João has been recognized as the best collaborative pianist at the Concours Musical International de Montréal in Canada and at the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards at Wigmore Hall, and he has been nominated for the Gerald Moore Award. Their album features songs in Spanish and Portuguese from seven countries – the journey travels from Argentina via Mexico to Brazil, Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, and Portugal. Listeners will hear songs by Carlos Guastavino, Gilardo Gilardi, María Grever, María de Pablos, Ernesto Halffter, Federico García Lorca, Fernando Obradors, and many others.