The Costa Rican mezzo-soprano Karla Pineda is recognized as one of the most compelling emerging artists from the Americas. She was awarded at the 63rd Tenor Viñas International Singing Competition in Barcelona, where she received the Fifth Prize, the Audience Prize, the Joyce DiDonato Prize, and several professional engagements across Europe.

She is also the winner of the Young Soloists Competition of the Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra and has been awarded the Bronze and Silver Orfeo Prizes at the prestigious ORFEO Latin American Lyric Singing Competition.

Karla Pineda began her vocal training with Guadalupe González Kreysa and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Costa Rica, where she also pursued formal vocal studies. She is currently a member of Operísima México Studio, under the direction of Maestro Rogelio Riojas-Nolasco, as well as the Opera Studio of Costa Rica of the National Lyric Company.

She made her debut in the official season of the Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra, performing Mozart’s Requiem and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, and will soon make her debut in Costa Rica with Verdi’s Requiem.

Since then, she has appeared as a soloist in a wide symphonic-choral repertoire, including Bruno Vlahek’s Stabat Mater with Vox Nova, Ariel Ramírez’s Misa Criolla, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the University of Costa Rica Symphony Orchestra. Other notable performances include La Bandada by Carlos Castro and Roxana Ávila, Marvin Camacho’s Cantata Negra with the University of Costa Rica Choir, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the National Music Institute Youth Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica.

A recent milestone in her career was her participation in Richard Wagner’s Parsifal at the Teatro del Bicentenario in León, Guanajuato, where she covered the role of Kundry. Her upcoming engagements include international debuts in Greece and in Moldova.

Her operatic repertoire includes Zita and La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Flora and Annina (La Traviata), Maddalena (Rigoletto), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Kundry (Parsifal), Carmen and Mercédès (Carmen), Azucena (Il Trovatore), Stéphano and Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette), Martha and Siebel (Faust), Amneris (Aida), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), the Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), and Paloma in the zarzuela El barberillo de Lavapiés.