the path of a costa rican tenor
It is all about the journey
«The second revelation, also a tenor, was Esteban Zúñiga-Calderón as Malcolm (...)
I was taken by Calderón’s acting chops. He was terrific as the eldest son of King Duncan and the rightful heir to the Scottish throne.» Daniel Buckwalter - Eugene Scene.
«Dr. Blind was admirably portrayed by Esteban Zuniga.» Nino Pantano - The Red Hook Star Revenue.
Hailing from Cartago, Costa Rica, tenor Esteban Zúñiga-Calderón is a versatile performer and dedicated voice instructor. Praised for his high vocal range and expressive stage presence, he has built a career spanning Latin America and the United States, encompassing opera, oratorio, chamber music, concert performance, and musical theater.
Zúñiga-Calderón began his operatic studies in 2007 with Cuban tenor Omar González. In 2013, he commenced his undergraduate studies with Lic. Franklin Castro Steller at the National University of Costa Rica, earning a Bachelor of Music degree in 2016 and a Licenciatura in 2018. Later that year, he moved to New York City to pursue a Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music, where he received a full institutional scholarship. His principal teachers included Professor Maitland Peters and former Metropolitan Opera tenor Neil Rosenshein. He subsequently earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance, specializing in Historical Performance Practice, from the University of Oregon, where he studied with Dr. Camille Ortiz. During his doctoral studies, he received the Outstanding Graduate Performer distinction in Voice and the Award of Excellence as a Graduate Employee in Studio, Performance, and Ensemble Teaching. He has since made his home in the Pacific Northwest.
Throughout his career, Zúñiga-Calderón has had the opportunity to work with distinguished figures in North American classical music, including Sherrill Milnes, Martina Arroyo, Arturo O’Farrill, Mignon Dunn, Ashley Putnam, Kenneth Cooper, Gary Wedow, Miriam Charney, Catherine Malfitano, and Kent Tritle.
His operatic credits include performances with Seattle Opera, OPERA IN THE PARK Portland, Eugene Opera, Geneva Light Opera, Cascadia Chamber Opera, Uptown Classics NYC, and the National Lyric Company of Costa Rica. His roles span a broad repertoire, from the bel canto works of Rossini and Donizetti to the operas of Mozart, Bizet, Verdi, Puccini, and Handel, as well as operetta and zarzuela.
As a concert soloist, Zúñiga-Calderón has performed with ensembles and organizations including Eugene Symphony, Willamette Master Singers, Eugene Vocal Arts, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Manhattan School of Music Chamber Sinfonia, Oregon Bach Festival, Cabaletta Productions, and the National Institute of Choral Music in Costa Rica. His concert repertoire encompasses major works from the Baroque through the twenty-first century, and includes chamber and orchestral works by Bach, Handel, Schubert, Schumann, Saint-Saëns, Mendelssohn, Orff, and Mozart, as well as zarzuela, operetta, and musical theatre.
Alongside his performing career, Zúñiga-Calderón has devoted more than sixteen years to vocal pedagogy and andragogy, working with singers of different ages and experience levels to address technical challenges, develop efficient vocal techniques, and expand their repertoire. He has organized and hosted numerous student concerts and recitals, providing developing singers with opportunities to build performance experience, confidence, and stage presence. His teaching and research interests include repertoire selection for developing voices and the pedagogical approaches that best support vocal development. These interests informed his doctoral lecture recital, An Infographic Repertoire Guide for Voice Instructors and Developing Voices. His broader work examines the challenges faced by voice students and explores practical strategies for supporting their technical growth, artistic development, and emerging professional identities.
Zúñiga-Calderón currently serves on the voice faculty at Willamette University and Linn-Benton Community College. His work as both a performer and educator reflects a commitment to vocal artistry, historically informed performance, and the development of the next generation of singers. He currently maintains an active artistic career, continuously expanding his repertoire and performing and recording works from both the historical repertoire and contemporary composers.
