Praised for “the easy caramel syrup of his voice” (Opera Today), Mexican-American baritone Armando Contreras is becoming known for his interpretations of new works and comedic roles, and was recently featured in Opera America’s In the Wings series as a “top emerging singer”. In the 2025-2026 season, Mr. Contreras will join Opera Columbus to reprise his signature role as Hemingway/Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea, which he will also sing with LA Opera in 2027. He can be heard in this role in Beth Morrison Projects’ upcoming album release of BMP Songbook. He also joins Arizona Opera and Pacific Opera Project to sing Sergeant José María Gomez and cover Moncada in Zorro, and returns to Kentucky Opera to sing Don Andres in Songbird. Next season, Mr. Contreras returns to the role of Sergeant José María Gomez in Zorro with Utah Opera.