Cecilia Violetta López, that is. One of Opera Southwest’s most beloved performers (and newest member of staff) has just about the most operatic name you could hope for.
In her recounting, he was simply trying to give her a flower for a middle name. He spelled Violetta with two t’s, as in Italian, rather than the more usual Spanish Violeta. Years later she became known for singing Violetta in La traviata – 16 productions and counting. Sometimes the universe writes a better story than any PR hack.
Her journey to those stages began about as far from opera as one can imagine. Growing up in Rupert, Idaho, she sang mariachi music with her mother during long days working in the sugar-beet fields. She discovered opera as an adult student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where a performance of La bohème permanently rearranged her plans.
And last weekend, the universe supplied another chapter: Portland Opera needed a new Violetta in a hurry. 🔗 They called Cecilia, who dropped everything here in Albuquerque and flew to Oregon to step into the title role of Verdi’s masterpiece for performances on November 6 and 8.
Albuquerque audiences will know her from Madama Butterfly, our Spanish-language Carmen, and Il postino. After she flies back from Portland, she’ll join us for Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ as a soloist portraying Mary. You can learn more about Cecilia here.
OSW presents the Symphonic Chorus in Berlioz’ L’Enfance du Christ November 15, 2026 at 2pm
