Aguirre ’24 Cast in ‘Carmen’ at La Orquesta Sinfónica de Salta in Argentina

Elías Aguirre ’24 (Bachelor of Music in Performance) was recently cast in a production of George Bizet’s opera “Carmen” in Salta, Argentina. The opera is conducted by former Shenandoah Conservatory student Gonzalo Hidalgo Ardila, who serves as the orchestra director of La Orquesta Sinfónica de Salta. This production incorporates all the cultural departments of Salta, including the choral and ballet companies, among others, with more than 200 artists on stage. Hidalgo Ardila attended Shenandoah Conservatory from 2021 to 2023 and pursued a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance (Conducting).

“Singing in ‘Carmen’ with a professional company was really challenging, but it helped me develop my musical and artistic skills, it was truly amazing,” said Aguirre.

“This production marks the beginning of what could be a fruitful international relationship between Shenandoah Conservatory and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Salta that would highly benefit the students at SU,” said Hidalgo Ardila.