Manny Perez

A consummate and in-demand voice teacher, Perez has discovered, nurtured and presented many of the top vocal talents emerging today. Singers from the Manny Perez vocal studio have graced many of the world’s greatest stages including the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Florida Grand Opera, as well the Teatro Solis in Uruguay, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico, La Scala, Teatro dell’ Opera di Roma, The Royal Opera House, Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, Ópera de Oviedo,Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liege and Teatro Comunale di Bologna, to name a few. His students pursue and enjoy national and international opera careers and have included Eglise Gutierrez, Elizabeth Caballero, Mabel Ledo, Susana Diaz, Megan Moore, Maria Brea, Matthew Maness, Elaine Alvarez, Sandra Lopez, Clayton Matthews, Eduardo Aladren, Armando Naranjo, Betsy Diaz, Martin Nusspaumer, Maria Antunez, Maria Aleida Rodriguez, Nathalie Avila, Jennifer Zamorano, Carolina Castells, Megan Barrera, Gerardo Ortega, Sandra Marante, Ray Gonzalez, Hector Mir, Evelyn Saavedra, Peter Rivera, Katiuska Rodriguez and Marinel Cruz. Students from the Perez vocal studio have been accepted in the 2018/2019 season to The Juilliard School artist diploma program, CCM artist diploma program, the Song Fest Professional Fellow, Chicago Opera Theater professional diploma program, Oberlin, The University of Miami and New England Conservatory and in past seasons to the Academy of Vocal Arts, The San Francisco Conservatory and the Mannes School of Music. Perez has served as Director of Vocal Studies for the Miami Summer Classical Music Festival since 2014 and was guest Faculty at the May/2019 Sherril Milnes Voice Experience program, The Opera Naples Academy since 2017, Washington National Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Barry University and the Audition Preparation Program held in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He has taught voice in Paris; Oviedo, Spain; Rome; Mexico; Verona; Leipzig; and Puerto Rico and with the advent of technology Skype, Facetime and Whats App are ways to work with students globally. Students from the Manny Perez Vocal Studio have been featured at The Adrienne Arsht Center's production of Zarzuela Tonight!, Miami Symphony Orchestra’s (MiSO) A Night at the Opera, The Symphony of the Americas, The Doral Cultural Affairs Council Opera Evenings, The St. Hugh-Steinway Concert Series, Sunday Afternoons of Music, Orchestra Miami, The Florida Chamber Orchestra, Opera Naples, Vero Beach Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Pensacola Opera and St Petersburg Opera.OperaOpera, Florida Grand Opera, Tampa Opera and most recently with the temple Beth Am Alhambra Orchestra “Opera with Orchestra concert. Of the Miami Symphony Orchestra’s “A Night at the Opera” collaboration, South Florida Classical Review’s Dorothy Hindman remarked “the singers in Manny Perez’s studio demonstrate polished maturity. Anyone of them could go directly to a career with great success, and most have already made their professional debuts… Perez… has a knack for spotting talent. His coaching style was evident in every performance, in clear diction, seamless range, exceptional projection, and emotional characterizations.” Perez also occupied a prestigious seat on the Board of Directors of the Florida Grand Opera for over 10 years and has been a vocal instructor in the Jewish cantor community. Perez has been invited to teach Master classes in both the American Conference of Cantors and the Cantors Assembly Convention. Cantors in his studio include Alberto Mizrahi, Rachelle Nelson, Zach Mondrow, Ben Matis and Lisa Segal amongst others. A successful interpreter of opera, and Spanish music in his own singing career, Perez released two albums. In a review of Perez’ vocals, Evelio Taillacq wrote in the Spanish press "we are dealing with an interpreter with a beautiful timbre, with just measure and magnificent phrasing."Perez continues to live and teach in his hometown of Miami. A graduate of Coral Gables Senior High School, Perez’s early years saw him as an active and varied student musician, playing tuba and conducting in the marching band, singing in the chorus and performing in musicals. Perez began his studies at Lamar University on a tuba scholarship, later completing his degree in Music Education from the University of Miami, as a scholarship student of voice. With dreams of becoming an opera singer, he joined the opera chorus of the Greater Miami Opera (now Florida Grand Opera) as a student in 1981, where he performed alongside idols including Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. Perez later moved to New York continuing his vocal studies with acclaimed voice teacher Bill Schuman.