Mezzo-soprano Carmen Artaza was born in San Sebastián and began her musical training as a violinist. In 2021, she won First Prize at the 58th Concurso Internacional de Canto Tenor Francesc Viñas in Barcelona, and additionally received the Mozart Prize, the Audience Prize, and three further special prizes.

Looking Ahead to 2025–2026

Carmen opens the 2025/26 season as Paloma in Barbieri’s zarzuela El Barberillo de Lavapiés, in a new production staged by Christof Loy at Theater Basel. Later in the season, she will make her debut as Stéphano in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Teatro Real Madrid, return to Theater Bonn as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and make her Paris debut with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Highlights of the 2024/25 season:

Carmen Artaza began the season with her debut as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Oviedo. She then performed the role of Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel in Bonn, followed by her house debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona as Teresa in La Sonnambula. She closed the season singing the title role in Rossini’s Bianca e Falliero at the Oper Frankfurt.

Highlights of recent seasons include Carmen’s debut at the Opera Bilbao as Suzuki in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly," Dorabella in Martin Berger's new production of Mozart's "Così fan tutte" under the direction of Michelle Spotti at the State Opera Hanover, debuts at the Komische Oper Berlin and the Berlin Philharmonie, her debut at the Teatro de la Zarzuela Madrid, and her debut at the Teatro Real Madrid, where she performed at an opera gala as part of the successful Viñas Competition. In May 2024, she sang the title role in Jesus Torres' "Transito" at the Palau de les Arts Valencia.

In the summer of 2019, Carmen made her Salzburg Festival debut as Bradamante in the world premiere of "Der Gesang der Zauberinsel" as a participant in the Salzburg Festival's Young Singers Project.

Carmen has worked with orchestras such as the Basel Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, the Academy for Early Music Berlin, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra, the Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, and the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin.

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