Described by The Huffington Post as a “breakout star” and “powerhouse lyric tenor,” Dominick Valdés Chenes continues to garner critical acclaim for his commanding performances across some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses. A lyrico-spinto tenor with a passionate stage presence and a voice hailed for its richness and agility, Chenes has become a sought-after artist for the dramatic Italian and French repertoire.
Valdés-Chenes’ 2024–25 season brought much success in his Metropolitan Opera house debut as Greenhorn in Jake Heggie’s masterpiece, Moby Dick. Dominick made in his house debut as Pollione in Norma with Oper Leipzig, performed Cavaradossi in Tosca with New Orleans Opera, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana with Opera Orlando, He also looks ahead to a featured appearance at the Oper im Steinbruch festival as Erik in Wagern’s Der Fliegende Holländer.
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, Dominick is thrilled to make his Wexford Festival Opera debut as Solano in Delius’ The Magic Fountain, followed by a very exciting concert appearance with the Lyric Opera of Chicago; this concert is a collaboration with Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins in a 30th anniversary celebration of their album in A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Saddness. Valdés Chenes starts 2026 strong with his role and company debut as Calaf in Puccini’s Turandot with Florida Grand Opera.
The 2023–24 season saw Chenes make a series of celebrated debuts and returns: Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Boston Lyric Opera, Pollione in Norma with the Boston Youth Symphony, Hoffmann in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Palm Beach Opera, and Nicias in Thaïs with Utah Opera. Additional highlights included Alfredo in La Traviata at Seattle Opera, Canio in Pagliacci with the Sacramento Philharmonic, Don José in Carmen at Palm Beach Opera, and Cavaradossi (cover) at the Metropolitan Opera.
Valdés-Chenes has performed on the stages of The Metropolitan Opera, Palau de Les arts Reina Sofia, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, New National Theatre Tokyo, Welsh National Opera, Austin Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève, and many others. Signature roles include Cavaradossi, Don José, Alfredo, Pinkerton, Rodolfo, Canio, and Riccardo, among others. He made his debut at the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Iopas in Les Troyens under Maestro Charles Dutoit, and joined Palau de les Arts in Valencia as Carlo in I Masnadieri conducted by Roberto Abbado.
Noteworthy past performances include Mario Cavaradossi with Minnesota Opera and Reading Symphony; Rodolfo with Opera Colorado, Welsh National Opera, and Hong Kong Opera; Alfredo with the New National Theatre Tokyo and Opera på Skäret in Sweden; Don José with Utah Opera and Palm Beach Opera; and Pinkerton with Seattle Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and multiple other houses. He also appeared in Seattle Opera’s acclaimed film adaptation of Tosca.
In concert, Valdés Chenes made his Carnegie Hall debut in Beethoven’s Mass in C at the Isaac Stern Auditorium, sang Verdi’s Requiem with the Reading Symphony, and has appeared at Alice Tully Hall with the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation and at Zankel Hall for the Gerda Lissner Foundation.
A graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Chenes performed numerous leading roles there including Rodolfo (La Bohème), Alfredo (La Traviata), Gherman (Pique Dame), and Riccardo (Un Ballo in Maschera), under the baton of Maestro Christofer Macatsoris. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where his repertoire included Don José, Tamino, Ferrando, and Rodolfo.
Valdés Chenes also trained at the Russian Opera Workshop, singing Paolo in Francesca da Rimini, and was an apprentice with the Utah Symphony Opera Program. He studied at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, where he was selected to perform under Maestro Eduardo Müller and later continued private studies with him for several years. He currently studies with acclaimed voice teacher, Bill Schuman.