Conductor Ramón Tebar
Receives Spain’s Cross of Officer of the Order of Civil Merit
in Ceremony during Opera Naples’s Annual Gala
Last evening, Wednesday, February 18, 2015, in a ceremony during Opera Naples’s annual gala, held at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort in Naples, Artistic Director Ramón Tebar received the Cross of Officer of the Orden del Merito Civil (Order of Civil Merit) from the Consul General of Spain in Miami, Ambassador Cristina Barrios. The honor was awarded to him by HM King Felipe VI of Spain. The Cross of Officer of the Order of Civil Merit was established by His Majesty King Alfonso XIII in 1926 to recognize extraordinary services performed by Spanish citizens for the good of the nation.
In a press release from the Consul General of Spain announcing the honor, it was stated that, “This well-deserved distinction is an official recognition from Spain for Ramón Tebar’s cultural achievements and for the extraordinary work that he has done to preserve our common heritage and to strengthen the ties between Spain and the United States.”
Participating in the ceremony were John Hushon, Chairman of the Board of Opera Naples and Ambassador Cristina Barrios, Consul General of Spain in Miami. (Photo link below).
With a growing international reputation in both the opera and orchestral arenas, conductor Ramon Tebar is known for his musical versatility, compelling interpretations and orchestra building skills. A popular guest conductor worldwide, Maestro Tebar was appointed Artistic Director of Florida’s Opera Naples in May 2014. He has the distinction of being the first Spanish conductor to be appointed Music Director of an American opera company, the Florida Grand Opera (FGO). Having successfully served as Music Director of the FGO since 2011 following his acclaimed debut in 2010, Tebar’s long-term relationship with the company continues with the new title of Principal Conductor. Artistic Director of the Palm Beach Symphony since 2010, in January 2014 Tebar was appointed Music Director of the Dominican Republic’s biannual Festival Musical de Santo Domingo.
Tebar’s guesting credits include leading operatic repertoire for such distinguished organizations as Italy’s Teatro Regio di Torino, Martina Franca Festival, and Teatro Lirico di Cagliari; Spain’s Festival de Opera de a Coruna; Germany’s Kolner Philharmonie; Russia’s Kremlin Palace; Netherlands’s Het Concertgebouw and Argentina’s Teatro Colon. Among his orchestral guesting credits are Orquesta Sinfonica Ciudad de Oviedo and Orquesta de Radio Television Espanola in Spain; St. Petersburg Symphony and Moscow State Symphony Orchestra in Russia; Orchestra de Rouen Haute-Normandie in France; Het Gelders Orkest in the Netherlands; Orchestra Teatro Regio di Torino and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Italy, to name a few. Amongst the numerous acclaimed artists with whom he has worked are Roberto Alagna, Joshua Bell, Montserrat Caballe, Joseph Calleja, Gautier Capucon, Placido Domingo, Angela Gheorghiu, Maria Guleghina, Ben Heppner and Renata Scotto.
Upcoming engagements this spring include Opera Naples, Palm Beach Symphony, Festival Musical de Santo Domingo, Temporada Lirica de La Coruña, Ensemble Opus 23, Orquesta del Principado de Asturias, Mexico’s Sonora Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Opera.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary this season, Opera Naples presents internationally and nationally renowned performers and directors, encourages and showcases talented regional performers, and grooms young stars of the future. The company produces classic grand opera, chamber opera at the new David and Cecile Wang Opera Center and conducts several outreach programs. Opera Naples is led by Artistic Director Ramon Tebar. Upcoming productions this season include Maria de Buenos Aires and Tango on March 20 and 21, 2015, featuring Tango Master Pablo Repun and his dancers, and La Tragedie de Carmen on May 1 and 2, 2015, both at the David and Cecile Wang Opera Center in Naples.
The Opera Naples annual gala raised a new record of over $350,000.
