Scherhezada Cruz began her musical training at the age of 11 at the school for arts Difocur in Culiacán, Mexico. She took dance and theatre courses and began singing in the choir.
At age 15, she began studying music at the Institute of the Arts at the University of Oaxaca, where she participated in performances in “DiidxaYú”, a folk music project by Oacaxa. Too young still to begin studying opera singing, she began to study violin as her first instrument. Three years later, with the financial support of the renowned Mexican painter Francisco Toledo, she enrolled in the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Mexico City and began her voice studies.
Ms. Cruz’ renowned teachers include Cheryl Studer, Dennise Massé, Andre Dos Santos, Claude Corbeil, Corradina Caporello, Katherine Ciesinski, Marioara Trifan, Erik Steinman, Maureen O’Flynn, Veronica Villarroel, Cesar Ulloa, James Demster, Alicia Cascante and Teresa Rodríguez.
After completing her studies, Ms. Cruz became a member of the Sociedad de Valores de Arte Mexicano (SIVAM), where she participated in the practical training program as well as the Operetta Company “Tarte à la Creme”. She also sang at the Lyric Opera Studio in Weimar, Germany as well as at the Sinaloa Opera Company. Her repertoire includes Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff, the Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute), Norina (Don Pasquale), Leila (The Pearl Fishers), Adele (Fledermaus), Gilda (Rigoletto) and Olympia in Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann.
In addition to her operatic repertoire, she sings in Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria, which she has performed with organizations such as the Symphony Orchestra of Oaxaca, the Philharmonic Orchestra of Acapulco, the Arpegio Productions and the Symphony Orchestra of Campeche.
Ms. Cruz has participated in youth programs such as the Vienna Master Classes, the North Aegean Music Festival, Artescenica AC, the Irma Gonzales Summer Course and the Juilliard Pilot Project in Mexico. She also sang at the Autumn Festival in Sinaloa, Instrumenta Oaxaca, Festival Internacional de Otoño in Matamoros, Festival Eduardo Mata, Festival Rodolfo Morales, Festival Francés and the Festival Humanitas.
In 2012, she won the Audience Prize while achieving fourth place at the International Singing Competition in Sinaloa. She was also awarded the “Best Young Artist Award” at the Concurso Nacional de Canto “Fanny Anitua” Competition.
