With Los Paladines, 62-year-old German stage director Christof Loy establishes a company dedicated to the revival and promotion of the Spanish Zaruela. The company is not based in Spain, but in Austria. The press release says: « The company does not see itself as a nostalgic project, but as an artistically independent force that interprets the multifaceted tradition of Zarzuela in a contemporary way. (…) The goal is not only to free Zarzuela from clichés and prejudices abroad, but also within the Spanish-speaking world, giving it renewed cultural relevance and resonance. »
Zarzuela is a diverse form of musical theatre in the Spanish language – ranging from Baroque opera to comedy and tragedy, from verismo-inspired works to revue-style productions. In 2024, the Spanish government recognized Zarzuela as a “representative expression of intangible cultural heritage,” with the aim of having it included in UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Initially, Los Paladines will tour with concert performances and semi-staged evenings, and later with full productions – in the tradition of the great travelling theatre troupes of the 19th century. Inspired by the Spanish format known as Antología de la Zarzuela – programs presenting excerpts from various Zarzuelas loosely connected by a dramatic thread – Los Paladines plans to develop concert formats designed to inspire a wide audience.
“If The Magic Flute had been written in Spanish, it would probably be called a Zarzuela. Cavalleria rusticana in Spanish? Zarzuela. And perhaps even Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is a German Zarzuela,” says Christof Loy.
The company is made up of young Spanish-speaking singers who already have a presence on international stages and bring experience in the Zarzuela genre.
In addition to Christof Loy, who serves as Artistic Director, a key figure in the project is José Miguel Pérez-Sierra, Chief Conductor of the prestigious Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, who joins the company as Musical Director.
Also part of the leadership team are Laura Nicorescu (Artistic Coordination) and Erwin Stürzer (Managing Director). The soloists of Los Paladines are soprano Cristina Toledo, mezzo-soprano Carmen Artaza, tenor Santiago Sánchez and baritone David Oller.
