Cátia Moreso - The rise of a mezzo-soprano towards consecration in operatic singing

By Joana Patacas, on March 9, 2024*

In an intimate conversation in the square of Teatro São Carlos, Cátia Moreso shared with ProART the unexpected journey that led her to become one of the most respected voices in the national lyrical panorama.

Music was always present in his life, even if opera remained unknown territory until later. Her determination and natural talent took her to London, where she studied music at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and faced the challenges and harsh realities faced by those who aspire to an international career.

He consolidated his career through a varied opera repertoire and as a soloist in concert. Her artistic horizons truly expanded when she played Azucena in "Il Trovatore", in 2023. It was a performance that undoubtedly showed the depth and maturity of her art, deserving critical praise:

“I confess that it was a very pleasant surprise to hear and see Moreso take on a difficult role, transform herself as a singer-actress and reach the finish line in triumph.” in Expresso , 2023 (Jorge Calado).

Cátia Moreso was a first-rate Azucena, both vocally and dramatically (…). His "Stride la vampa" was passionate, with impressive bass notes but no ungrateful chest notes." in ConcertoNet.com ( Ossama el Naggar )

In this interview with ProART , conducted by Joana Patacas (JP), we tell the unique story of Cátia Moreso , a woman who found herself in the echoes of her unique voice, and who stands out in lyrical singing for her vocal versatility and expressive strength of their interpretations.

JP: Hello, Cátia! It's a pleasure to have you here for this interview. When did you discover your passion for singing?

Cátia Moreso: My mother says that when I was born I immediately started crying and screamed without pause for two and a half hours. He always cried very loudly and with great intensity. I was born with a very powerful voice. Of course, my parents never imagined that I would find my calling in operatic singing. I was a child who really liked singing, but I never thought I would make it my profession. Although my father was passionate about operatic singing – he listened to Pavarotti religiously –, at that time, I wasn't interested in opera. We went to the theater and museums a lot, but we didn't go to the opera, so it was only much later that I came into contact with that world. There were no professional musicians in my family either. My sister Leila and I were the first to study music. She sings in the São Carlos choir.

JP: How was music present in your childhood?

Cátia Moreso : When we were little, we spent a lot of time with one of my father's cousins who had a talent for music. He played the piano and accordion by ear and we sang and danced. But the truth is that, despite this coexistence, we never asked him to teach us how to play. At that time, music was more of a diversion than a serious vocation. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said I wanted to be a veterinarian. I never thought about following the artistic path. The only time I was on stage was at the party at the end of the 4th grade school year. They gave us the opportunity to choose what we wanted to present, and I, excited, wanted to sing the song “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean”, a song that I sang with my mother at home. I sang a cappella and I remember feeling very shy, but I didn't let myself go down and performed until the end. It was my only experience until I entered the conservatory.

JP: So you didn't go through choirs and children's programs?

Cátia Moreso: I didn't do this little star route. Like many children of my generation, I loved Onda Choc, but I never thought about being part of a choir or a band. My mother even insisted that I learn to play an instrument, but I never wanted to. Today I regret it, and that's why my son entered the National Conservatory of Lisbon at the age of six. Music, or any other type of art, opens our horizons and gives us more sensitivity. I didn't have that opportunity and sometimes I feel at a disadvantage, because I actually fell into music.

JP: And yet, she's a great singer.

Cátia Moreso: I have what you could call a natural talent for singing, but I didn't have the opportunity to delve into the technical and theoretical aspects as much as I would have liked, as I could have done if I had discovered this passion of mine earlier. The truth is that I only discovered music when I was around 16 years old. There was a time when I wanted to participate in Chuva de Estrelas, but I was a chubby teenager and ended up not taking the plunge. Meanwhile, at 16, I fell in love with a boy who played guitar and I wanted to learn to play to impress him. My parents even gave me a guitar for Christmas and I was so happy! I started taking classes at the D. Dinis Music Conservatory and I thought I was going to learn to play songs like Dunas, by GNR, but that was really learning music seriously.

JP: Was it your gateway to singing?

Cátia Moreso: Yes, but later. I only started taking vocal technique classes when I was 19 and with the aim of participating in Chuva de Estrelas. However, they told me: “You’re not going to sing any of that. You are here to learn operatic singing.” And so, I started taking singing lessons. I had never had an experience like this and, suddenly, I was immersed in a completely new universe, of melodies and harmonies, and I just thought: «Wow, can voices create this magic? I want to be part of this!» In singing classes, I then started doing breathing and vocal exercises with teacher Margarida Marecos, who gave me all the foundations I needed. Nine months later, I received my first aria to sing and the feeling was indescribable. I still feel the excitement of that moment today. I discovered a magical world, as if the door to Wonderland had been opened to me, and it was at that moment that I knew that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

JP: And did you follow that dream right away?

Cátia Moreso: Not right away. First, I took a biotechnological engineering course, but I couldn't imagine being stuck in a laboratory. At that time, I told my mother that I wanted to pursue singing, but she insisted on the importance of me having a higher education degree and, therefore, I went into Interior Design. I always drew very well and it made sense. At least it was an area I liked. But two years later I was already taking tests for the National Conservatory. I was admitted to Professor Larissa Shevshenko's class, and later, a year before going to London, I was a student of Professor Filomena Amaro. It was a complicated time, because I was doing several things at the same time. I worked at São Carlos; When I could, I went to Design classes at college; I studied singing at the Conservatory, and at night I performed at São Carlos. It was a very intense period, but it paid off. In December 2003 I auditioned to reinforce the choir, and my first opera was Turandot, by Giacomo Puccini. The conductor at the time was João Paulo Santos. For me it was a real event.

JP: Did you feel like you were finally on the right path?

Cátia Moreso: Yes, it was the first time I felt like I had achieved something in this area at a professional level since I started this journey. I always received very positive comments, but it was the first time I was in the spotlight, and that gave me a lot of strength to continue. On stage I felt like someone and that was very important to reinforce my self-esteem. I also won some prizes, including the 2nd Singing Competition of the Portuguese Rotary Foundation, the Bocage Prize at the Luísa Todi Competition and the 1st Prize at the José Augusto Alegria Singing Competition.

JP: How did you decide to go and study at Guildhall, in London?

Cátia Moreso: I loved being in the São Carlos choir, but I wanted more than being part of a choral group. It was a good school in terms of representation and movement on stage and gave me a lot of confidence, but when we are in a choir we are part of a mass, and I really wanted to be a soloist. So I took exams for Guildhall. They advised me to go to Italy, but Bárbara Barradas and Susana Gaspar, two opera singer friends of mine, were in London and loving the experience, so I took tests. My singing level gave me immediate access to postgraduate studies, but I wanted to have a degree, so I entered directly into the 3rd year. When I finished my degree in singing, I joined the opera course at the Guildhall. Later, I took exams and entered the National Opera Studio. I thought it would open a lot of doors for me in London, but that never happened.

JP: How did you deal with this challenge?

Cátia Moreso: It made me realize that there is a big difference between having a career in Portugal and an international career. In Portugal I stood out, but there I was just one of many singers – even though I was aware of my value. In my opinion, in the United Kingdom, or in other countries like Italy or Spain, they give value and opportunities to national singers. Curious, because in Portugal it works the other way around: what comes from abroad is good. This is a tough industry. We have to deal with frustrations and situations that we consider unfair, so the secret to moving forward is to hold on to what moves us, what we like and what we want to do.

JP: You need to have a lot of resilience.

Cátia Moreso: Yes. It's difficult to succeed in this environment, especially when you don't have someone who really believes in you and drives you. The experiences in London, especially at the National Opera Studio, already had a more professional aspect. Many agents, opera houses and casting directors came to see us perform, but I never had the opportunity to stand out. I know she was a young promise, but they preferred to bet on someone from there or someone who already had good representation – an agent or a major agency. I always had work abroad, but they weren't opportunities with enough substance or projection that would later give me the possibility of choosing what I really wanted to do.

JP: And did you plan to make your career in London?

Cátia Moreso: No, because it wasn't worth it for the career as a soloist that I wanted. I stayed in London until 2012, but then I returned to Portugal. Until then, I did what was expected of someone who is building a career in singing. She had paid work as a choir singer in Glyndebourne, Holland Park and Wexford. I also worked at the Bel Canto restaurant to pay the bills. It was an excellent school. It forced us to act in public, regardless of the circumstances, and made me aware of other realities.

JP: How did these experiences help you become a better singer?

Cátia Moreso: They were very enriching. I believe that the essence of an artist is the way he observes others and himself. Singing alone, whether in the shower or confined to four walls… what kind of experience is that? If I'm playing a character who's been through hardship, how can I represent her faithfully without having a real sense of those circumstances? I may not have experienced them, but I have the ability to observe the impact that adversity has on others and empathize with them. For example, just through someone's gestures, the way they hold a cigarette or move, I capture a multitude of details that are precious to an artist. I don't regret anything I experienced abroad, nor the challenges I faced, but I always wanted to return.

JP: And returning to Portugal was a difficult decision?

Cátia Moreso : It was a natural decision. After finishing the National Opera Studio, I was in choirs for a few years, until I realized that I was in the same place where I had started in Portugal, singing in choirs. I was already doing some work as a soloist and decided to return home. I never went to London with the aim of staying there. I always wanted to return. However, I got pregnant with my eldest son and everything came together. Our country has many advantages for those who want their children to grow up safely and peacefully, and it was here that I had my family support network.

JP: Do you still aspire to have an international career?

Cátia Moreso: It's something I aspire to and really want. But life gave me more opportunities in Portugal. I consider myself lucky, especially because I can support myself exclusively with music. I never needed to teach or have another profession. I live from my corner. Its a blessing. There aren't many colleagues here in Portugal who have this same luck, at least those who live and work here. Of course there are big names who are making a career out there, and I know I'll get there too. I'm very flexible vocally. I consider myself a dramatic mezzo-soprano, with a voice more suited to a verista repertoire from the romantic period. There isn't much access to these roles here, so I adapt, take advantage of my technique and vocal range, and can create another type of repertoire. Although I can sing anything I set my mind to, I want to explore repertoire more suited to my voice.

JP: Is there a performance or character that was especially meaningful to you?

Cátia Moreso: Yes , the role of Azucena, which I played last year in Verdi's opera Il Trovatore. It was a kind of declaration from me to the world .

JP: How did you prepare?

Cátia Moreso: It's a great role, with a great dramatic charge. I was very well guided and directed by maestro João Paulo Santos. Interestingly, it was a role that had haunted me for over 20 years. When I went to the National Conservatory, the first aria they gave me was Stride la Vampa, by Azucena, and from that moment on I knew that my voice fit perfectly into that role. The opportunity arose last year, and allowed me to finally reveal my true essence on stage. I received a lot of praise, even from the most demanding critics, who only realized when I played Azucena the power of my voice. When I showed what I was born to do, I blossomed on stage.

JP: It was a moment of consecration.

Cátia Moreso: Same! I was technically fit, and the character was played at the right time in my life, because I had already been a mother. Having to build a character who ends up killing her own son at the stake... There are certain ages to play certain roles and this could not be played by a 20-year-old girl, who does not yet have the dramatic density that one acquires throughout life . Life is a drama. There are very good things, but we also have to deal with many difficulties, and this role requires a lot of life experience.

JP: What is Cátia Moreso like on stage?

Cátia Moreso: When I'm on stage, I'm just focused on that, and I just want to be there, living in the moment. Then, when I leave the stage, it's over. Many people ask me how I can disconnect afterwards. I simply turn it off. On stage I am complete. I'm not Cátia. But when the performance ends and the curtain falls, I return to being myself.

JP: And who is this Cátia? What does she like to do, besides singing?

Cátia Moreso: Cátia is a mother, a woman and a daughter. I like writing, drawing and dedicating myself to my new passion: tattooing. I'm learning on my own, but it's been amazing! I also really enjoy crafts and working with materials, such as newsprint. I make lamps, for example; I don't lack creativity! And I love being with my children and accompanying them in everything.

JP: Do you have plans to internationalize your career in the future?

Cátia Moreso: I just need an opportunity to prove myself out there. In Portugal I no longer need to prove anything to anyone. I've sung in all the best houses in the country and with great conductors. I've been preparing for this all these years. I received very good international reviews for the role of Azucena. They've even compared me to the best singers at the Met Opera, so I know I have what it takes to build an international career as a soloist. I just need to go to the right audition, because the rest is up to me and my voice. I know it will happen, sooner or later.

JP: What is your advice for the future generation of singers?

Cátia Moreso: Anyone who wants to have a career in music must take risks and show themselves to the world. Don't waste time! In Portugal there is work for everyone, but there are not enough to consolidate a career. We only have one big opera house, and there aren't many places where singers can perform. To young people, I would say not to give up. There will always be those who say you should take it easy, but we know what's best for ourselves, so if you feel like you have to fly that's exactly what you should do, and always look for what's best for you. Are you taking a singing lesson and feel that the method does not suit your voice and goals? Look for another teacher, someone you trust and who will help you draw up a plan for the future. And they should sing because they feel good doing it and because it's what they want to do with their lives. Don’t sing because it’s “cool” or because you want to be famous. This is an illusion, because in this area fame is achieved with hard work and perseverance. Find your place. I'm a stage singer and that's how I realize and identify myself. Discover what fulfills you and follow that path.

Profile photography of Cátia Moreso by Antonio Ignês

*Interview with mezzo-soprano Cátia Moreso originally published at www.proart.art

Joana Patacas - Communication and Content Advisory

Want to know more? Watch and listen to one of his beautiful performances below:

Upcoming performances:

Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi

São Carlos National Theater May 11, 13, 15 and 17, 2024, 8pm

More information about Cátia Moreso at:

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