A 1st Prize Winner of the 2014 NJ Association of Verismo Opera International Vocal Competition, and a finalist/encouragement award winner of the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition in 2015 and 2017, Dominican tenor José Heredia has thrilled audiences with his voice of "Pavarottian shimmer." Son of a Merengue singer, Heredia grew up surrounded by music. Although he enjoyed all genres, he had a special love for classical music. Mr. Heredia started singing in a church in New York back in 2006. He attended Nyack College and the Manhattan School of Music, and studied with the tenor Dr. Dana Talley and the mezzo-soprano Mignon Dunn of the Metropolitan Opera. After debuting as "Rodolfo" in Puccini’s La Boheme with the NJ Association of Verismo Opera in 2014, Heredia has sung the roles of "Rodolfo” in Puccini’s La Boheme, "The Duke of Mantua" in Rigoletto, "Don Jose" in Carmen, "Alfredo" in La Taviata , "Riccardo" in Un ballo in maschera, "Nemorino" in L'elisir d'amore, "Marcello" in La Boheme (R. Leoncavallo), "Mario Cavaradossi" in Tosca, "Radames" in Aida, and “Turiddu” in Cavalleria Rusticana.” Heredia made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016, performing the song cycle Four Short Stories at the Standard Hotel, Op.6 by Colombian pianist, composer and award winning film director Julian De La Chica. Heredia toured in Italy, Puerto Rico and South Korea, where he sang in more than 34 successful concerts, some broadcast live on television (NBC Korea). He is a resident artist and soloist of the Brooklyn Philharmonia Chorus, and currently serves as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of The Opera Collective, LLC. A NYC based opera company that seeks to bring Opera to all audiences in unorthodox spaces throughout NYC. Mr. Heredia will be representing his Native Dominican Republic in the upcoming Festival Lirico del Caribe 2021.