María Uriz

María de la Asunción Uriz Mosquera (born 21 August 1946), better known as María Uriz, is a Spanish soprano.

María Uriz was born in A Coruña.

While studying for her Superior Baccalaureate, she began studying piano, chamber music, and dramatic art at the Conservatory of Music in her hometown.

At the end of these courses, and influenced by her brother who was a member of the Echo Polyphonic Choir, she took her first steps in the world of opera.

After that, she began her singing career, concluding her studies at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu.

In the 1970s she obtained the March and Castellblanch scholarships, which allowed her to move to Italy to further her studies.

Later she also obtained the Agustín Pedro y Pons scholarship and the Eugenia Kémeny singing prize.

Shortly after this, she was required by the authorities to act in the reception that annually recognized the then head of state Francisco Franco and his ministers at the Municipal Palace of A Coruña.

For four years, and under the direction of famous soprano Elvira de Hidalgo, the teacher of Maria Callas, she studied vocal and stage technique in Milan.

Since her debut in 1974, Uriz has become a regular singer at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona with a wide repertoire.

She participated in special performances of Doña Francisquita directed by Plácido Domingo; La bohème with Plácido Domingo and Montserrat Caballé, with Jeanette Pilou and Beniamino Prior, La favorite with Alfredo Kraus, Maruxa, Medea, and Roméo et Juliette.

She has also performed in zarzuelas and operas at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, recitals at the Palau de la Música Catalana, Teatro Colón, and Rosalía de Castro in A Coruña, and in cities such as Oviedo, Gijón, Ourense, Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Düsseldorf, and Luxembourg.

Uriz has recorded several TVE specials on opera, such as La saga de los Rius, playing Amelia in Un ballo in maschera (José Carreras) and Leonora in Il trovatore (with J. Aragall).