Brian Asawa, whom Opera Today has called “the most important countertenor in the world today,” passed away Monday at the age of 49. In 1991, he became the first countertenor to win the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Asawa specialized in 18th-century operas of Handel and Gluck as well as in 20th-century operas by Britten and Ligeti. He performed lead roles at the Santa Fe Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, the Dallas Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera, among many others.
Click here for a full-length article about Asawa’s career.
Click here for Asawa’s performance of “Cara speme, questo core” from Handel’s GiulioCesare.
