César Augusto Cortés Betancourt, is a Colombian tenor born in the city of Cali (Colombia) on September 22, 1989, graduated from the National Pedagogical University as a graduate in Music, he lives in Barcelona where, in 2019, he got a Master degree at the Conservatori of Liceu under the guidance of Marta Matheu.
He attended masterclasses with Miquel Ortega Pujol, Alexandra Rosa Zabala, Gino Quilico, Melba Ramos, Victoria Livengood, Marta Matheu, Elio Orciuolo, Nancy Herrera, Dolora Zajick, Raúl Jiménez, Francisco Araiza, Teresa Berganza.
He was awarded in several Competition: Winner of the National Singing Contest, organized by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá (Colombia) in 2016; Winner of the Josep Palet International Singing Contest (Martorell) in 2017; second place in the Andrea Singing International Contest Chénier in Foggia (Italy).
He was also awarded with the Scholarship granted by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogotá and the Conservatori Liceu of Barcelona (Spain) in 2017-2018 to continue his studies with the Master degree in Opera Performance. After his debut as soloist in 2015 with Opera de Colombia, as Edoardo in La cambiale di matrimonio, he had the opportunity to begin performing in Spain as Florville in Il Signor Bruschino with Opera de Sarrià conducted by Raúl Jiménez, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Palau de la Música Catalana, preparing the role with Francisco Araiza; Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Opera de Sabadell.
He also performed with Opera de Sabadell as Beppe in Pagliacci and as Bertrando in L’inganno felice with Opera de Sarrià under the artistic direction of Raúl Gimenez.
Among the main engagements in 2023/24: Le Comte Ory (Comte Ory) at Teatro Comunale in Bologna; Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo) in Zaragoza; Il barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva) with Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Duisburg and with Seattle Opera (US debut); La Cenerentola (Don Ramiro) in Kiel.
Among his engagements during the 2022/23: Don Giovanni (Don Ottavio) with Sabadell Opera in the theatres of Sabadell, Santander and Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona; Così fan tutte (Ferrando) in Kiel; Don Pasquale (Ernesto) in Pisa and with Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf; Il barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva) in Mannheim; Der Rosenkavalier (Ein Sänger) with Irish National Opera in Dublin; Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Belmonte) with Orquestra Ciudad de Granada; Il barbiere di Siviglia in Krakow and Wildbad with Rossini in Wildbad Belcanto Opera Festival (CD recording with NAXOS).
