“…the Honduran countertenor Dennis Orellana (Berardo), also agile and technically very solid, with a voice of enviable sound projection for such a young sopranist, to be kept well in mind in view of future developments in a career that already promises to be promising.”
Connessi all’Opera
“In the highest vocal range, the phenomenal soprano Dennis Orellana as Bellezza, who has a full-toned, flawless timbre that is in no way inferior to that of a female singer. He doesn’t come across as a countertenor at all (and probably isn’t). He was the center of the performance, also in the way he appeared, in his graceful, boyish appearance, youthful appearance.” (translation from German)
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
The exceptionally gifted Honduran sopranist Dennis Orellana has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young voices on the international Baroque and Classical scene. He has appeared at major houses and festivals including the Salzburger Festspiele, La Scala di Milano, Musiktheater an der Wien, the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Chamber Opera, Konzerthaus Dortmund, and the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, earning critical acclaim for roles such as Berardo (Carlo il Calvo), Ernesto (Griselda), Teseo (Teseo), Sifare (Mitridate, re di Ponto), and Cavalier Ramiro (La finta giardiniera).
He made his professional debut in 2021 as Berardo in Porpora’s Carlo il Calvo (Teatro Auditorio San Lorenzo del Escorial), followed by appearances as Amor in La selva sin amor, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, and Moth in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At the 2022 Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, he performed Zeffiro (Il Nascimento dell’Aurora) and Ernesto (Griselda), before making his debut at La Scala the following season.
Recent highlights include Irina (Drei Schwestern, Salzburger Festspiele), Bellezza (Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Knechtsteden and Modica Festival), Hunapuh (The Indian Queen with the Berlin Philharmonic, Paris and Salzburg), Alessandro (Il Venceslao), and Isaaco (Isacco). He has performed alongside renowned colleagues such as Max Emanuel Cenčić, Julia Lezhneva, and Franco Fagioli, under conductors including Teodor Currentzis, George Petrou, and Dorothee Oberlinger.
The 2025/26 season marks an exciting new chapter with Orellana’s Asian debut in China, first with the Xiamen Philharmonic and in recital at the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing. Further engagements include Cleopatra in Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Theater Duisburg), Meleagro in Atalanta at the Internationale Händel-Festspiele Karlsruhe, Tigrane in Radamisto (Halle and Wrocław), and Poro in Vinci’s Alessandro nell’Indie (a Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival production) at the Theater an der Wien, directed by Max Emanuel Cenčić and conducted by Martyna Pastuszka with {oh!} Orkiestra. He will also appear in a lied matinee at Theater Duisburg, as Bellezza in Handel’s Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno with Dorothee Oberlinger, and in Il Ciro at the Teatro Goldoni in Florence as part of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
Born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Orellana began his musical career as a trombonist before studying voice at the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid, followed by further training at the Hochschule der Künste Stuttgart. A versatile artist with a rapidly growing international profile, he continues to captivate audiences with his artistry, stage presence, and uniquely expressive voice.
(2025_26, please only use this CV)
