Mexican-American bass-baritone, Richard Ollarsaba, praised by The Washington Post for his “meltingly smooth bass-baritone” and for “evoking a young Ruggero Raimondi in looks and manner," represented the USA in the 2019 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, was a member of the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago for three seasons, and a grand finalist in the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Last season, he appeared in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s digital concert Pasión Latina and made his New Zealand Opera debut as Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro. Engagements for the 2021-2022 season include the title role in Don Giovanni with Opera Grand Rapids and Opera Carolina, Mozart’s Requiem with the Palm Beach Symphony, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro with Virginia Opera, and Schaunard in La bohème with the Jacksonville Symphony.

His 2019-2020 season saw a reprise of his Escamillo in Carmen with Kentucky Opera and Handel’s Messiah with the Pittsburgh and Phoenix Symphonies as well as cancelled performances of Pulcinella with The Dallas Opera. In recent seasons, Mr. Ollarsaba sang Escamillo in Carmen with North Carolina Opera, Annapolis Opera, and Bar Harbor Music Festival; the title of Don Giovanni in his debut with Opera Hong Kong; returned to Minnesota Opera in the title role in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro; debuted with Virginia Opera in Lucia di Lammermoor as Raimondo; performed Pistola in Falstaff with Opera Omaha and Intermountain Opera Bozeman; and returned to Wolf Trap Opera where he scored a triumph as Asdrubale in Rossini’s La pietra del paragone.