Bio



When dream and passion go beyond family heritage

By Maurice Heald.

To say it was daring is an understatement.  Maybe more daring than carving the ski slopes over Lake Tahoe at championship speeds.  Or frontsiding the face of big waves on a longboard at some of the world’s top surfing beaches.  And it was probably even more daring than competing in any of the other adrenaline sports at which he performed surpassingly well.

Iván Gancedo dared to say adiós to a lucrative legal career and all its incumbent security and benefits to plunge headlong into the risky business of operatic performance – the art to which a relative few ever reach soaring heights.  And it wasn’t just leaving one profession for another; it was departing from a career path honored in his family for four generations.  Iván was never half-hearted about being an attorney.  (He worked in law for 12 years and spent another six years training for it.)  But he did become full-hearted about wanting to sing.  He attended a performance of La Bohème at one of the world’s great opera palaces, Argentina’s Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.  And that’s when this man’s passion of choice would not be denied.   

So for a time the careers became parallel, one affording the groundwork for the other.  Over several years this native of Argentina and father of two devoted himself to voice training with the same drive that caused him to excel in competition, both legal and athletic.  He studied vocal technique in Buenos Aires, and through his acting and repertoire training Russian pianist Rozita Zozoulia imparted to Iván the secrets of how to enthrall an audience.  But in art, as in so many life endeavors, training and perfected technique may only serve to shape what is already there.  In Iván’s case, it wasn’t merely having the chops for vocal performance; he had a gift.  “He manages to enchant the audience,” observed music critic Oscar Thompson, “not just by his voice of exceptional range, but by the way he knows how to capture the audience with his expression.”

Famous Italian mezzosoprano and teacher of many of today's international operatic highlights, Franca Mattiucci, was in charge of polishing the technique that Iván posseses now a days.

Starting out, this tenor with chiseled, modelesque looks may not have known just how enchanting he could be.  But the first time he stepped onto the concert stage, the attraction went in both directions. “My heart was pounding like a mallet in my chest” Iván recalls, mimicking with a thumping fist the visual effect of a love-struck character in a Warner Bros. cartoon.  “Then to experience the response of the audience – it was an overpowering sensation!”  

That hammering heart surely complements the notable qualities in a candidate for artistic stardom.  And characteristically, Iván fully identifies with lyrical passages and melodic surges that tap all the senses.

“When I sing, my soul pours through me like lava from a volcano!” he said. 
 
And apart from musical excellence and a repertoire that ranges from intense operatic arias to romantic pop standards, it is Iván’s passion for performance that brings distinction to his work.  Yes, it became his conviction to sing.  And, yes, the popular response has only served to affirm the redirection of careers.
Still, the shift from being a lawyer who happens to sing to being a singer who happens to be a lawyer might have seemed a strained departure from the historic strengths of his family.  After all, the prestigious Gancedo law firm in Buenos Aires was founded a century ago by Iván’s great grandfather Alejandro, and the mantle of serving in the profession had been handed from father to son and father to son until it reached Iván, not merely as an expectation, but by then a practical destiny.  Yet now, such a legacy gives way to the family’s stronger tradition of love and support especially where passions take precedence.  Iván’s grandfather once declared that his children could go into any profession they chose, as long as they first got a legal education!  And it is Iván’s grandmother and mentor who had already paved the way for the family musically by taking up singing herself at the age of 70.

Around the time the Gancedo family firm was founded, La Bohème composer Giacomo Puccini was at the height of his productivity.  The connection of generations may yet find Iván fulfilling his dream of singing the starring role of Rodolfo at the Teatro Colón.

The great Maestro and Argentine legend, Mariano Mores, said "Today I feel happy to witness the talent of Iván Gancedo, this young Argentine singer...who shows us the charm of his voice and personality as an artist. It's not common at all to find an interpreter who has the ability of speaking and singing in seven different languages, apart from being able to address different genres like classical and pop music. This demonstrates that Iván Gancedo possesses an excellence that very little artists are capable of delivering in these days. As an Argentinian I'm proud to say that Iván Gancedo is and will be an ambassador of our culture, and that he will surely take joy -through his success- to all of those who love and enjoy this wonderful art." .

Recently declared "Cultural Distinguished Personality of the City of Buenos Aires" by means of Law N° 5.181 of the City of BA's Legislature, the rest of his story is being written and we invite you to be a part of it...

Reviews



“I believe that with the voice that Iván has to spare other singers can give a concert!” Rudy Pérez, multi award winning composer/producer – Billboard’s Latin Producer of the Decade, producer of the album “Forever” (Miami).

“A fantastic voice…no one can do this quality any more… “Forever” sounds like a Mario Lanza recording. His melodic expression is remarkable.” Gary Barlough, Grammy winning producer/engineer.

Legendary arranger/conductor/producer Bob Krogstad wrote about Ivan: "Ivan Gancedo possesses that rare combination of musical talent: gifted with a glorious tenor voice, and a deep appreciation of those things that are truly beautiful, and rarely found these days: such as understanding a great lyric and melody, and then conveying that to his listeners with classic elegance and exquisite, but subtle sensitivity. With his charm, his obvious love for life, coupled with his magnificent singing (in the finest tradition of the best Italian and Spanish tenors), he can fill your soul with the great joy of living. And if you haven't heard (or loved) his singing until now, you will! You'll never forget him."

“I can unhesitatingly say that Mr. Gancedo’s talent is extraordinary and one of the most promising new (for the US) talents to emerge in the past years. His voice is remarkable, his phrasing and tone...coupled with his acting ability, those qualities make him unique... ”. Marcia Smith, Executive Director of the Screen Actor’s Guild Foundation.

“I have been working with talent both here and in Europe and never have I heard such a beautiful tenor voice”. Gloria Tait, Athena Talent Management (Los Angeles).

“In my forty years in the music business I have not worked with a more talented opera singer. He possesses an extraordinary ability and talent with a range very few tenors can match.” Gary Lindsay, Orchestra Conductor, Composer and Arranger. Director of the Studio Jazz Writing of the Frost School of Music. University of Miami.

“Seldom in life performers with extraordinary talent appear, with a voice that transports all who hear it into a voyage of imagination and pleasure, and that looks the part.” Viviane Ventura, CEO of Francolin International Promotions (London/Miami).

The great Maestro and Argentine legend, Mariano Mores, said "Today I feel happy to witness the talent of Iván Gancedo, this young Argentine singer...who shows us the charm of his voice and personality as an artist. It's not common at all to find an interpreter who has the ability of speaking and singing in seven different languages, apart from being able to address different genres like classical and pop music. This demonstrates that Iván Gancedo possesses an excellence that very little artists are capable of delivering in these days. As an Argentinian I'm proud to say that Iván Gancedo is and will be an ambassador of our culture, and that he will surely take joy -through his success- to all of those who love and enjoy this wonderful art." .
 

PH: ©Pablo Schreiterer ©Shaun Alexander & ©Caro Eiras