BIOGRAPHY
Gabriel Natal Báez is a Puerto Rican baritone with a blossoming career in opera, art song and concert work. His performances are distinguished by a profound connection to the music, a commanding stage presence, and an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence. As a versatile singer with a repertoire that spans from the Baroque and Classical eras to contemporary works, Natal finds his greatest artistic expression in the Romantic and Bel Canto repertoire, where the depth of humanity aligns with his artistic mission: to tell deeply human stories that resonate across time. Committed to both tradition and innovation, he actively collaborates with living composers and fellow artists to bring fresh perspectives to the art form.
Mr. Natal has performed roles such as Marullo in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Teatro Lirico d’Europa, Le Podestat in Bizet's charming Le Docteur Miracle and Mr. Gobineau in Menotti’s opera The Medium. With the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, he has appeared as Beaumarchais in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles, Aeneas in Purcell's opera Dido & Aeneas, Tarquinius (cover) in Britten’s The rape of Lucretia, Count Almaviva in scenes from Le Nozze di Figaro and Captain Petrovich in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Last summer, he premiered the lead role of the Explorer in Theo Chandler’s chamber opera So You May Breathe in Light . His versatility extends to the vibrant world of Zarzuela, where he has performed in productions such as Los Claveles and La Corte de Faraón with Ópera de Puerto Rico.
In the realm of art song & concert repertoire, Mr. Natal has appeared as the baritone soloist in works such as Orff’s Carmina Burana, Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. He has presented recitals that explore themes of human experience through song, offering a compelling and personal interpretation of works such as Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, Vaughan Williams’s Songs of Travel and Five Mystical Songs, as well as a broad range of Neapolitan songs by Tosti, Donizetti, Verdi, Cardillo and Gastaldon, further showcasing his interpretative depth. Recently, he sang alongside his teacher and renowned soprano Ana María Martínez in Noche Española, a concert celebrating Latino Heritage Month performing Zarzuela and Latin-American repertoire. This season, Natal was a semi-finalist in HGO’s Concert of Arias and a winner of the Puerto Rico District of the Laffont Met Opera Competition, where he also received the "La Zarzuela" prize. He went on to place third in the Gulf Coast Region. This summer, he joins the prestigious Merola Opera Program in San Francisco, where he will train and perform in the Schwabacher Summer Concert, as well as cover the role of Raimbaud in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory.
In addition to his work as a singer, Gabriel holds a Bachelor's degree in Humanities with a concentration in Painting; an art form that, in many ways, parallels music and has long been one of his passions, fostering and awakening his sensitivity towards the musical world. He is currently advancing his musical education by pursuing a Master's degree under the tutelage of soprano Ana María Martínez at Rice University. Mr. Natal is the recipient of the Mary Root Kirkland Scholarship.