Some voices don’t just fill a room, they electrify it. Marcelo Guzzo possesses that rare, magnetic baritone voice capable of touching the soul, embracing hearts with the raw emotion of a man truly in love with his art. Yet, the internationally renowned opera star is no longer just commanding the world’s most prestigious traditional stages. He is actively dismantling the invisible walls that surround classical music.
As the co-founder of Greenwich Opera, Guzzo, alongside his wife and business partner, Anelle De Beer, is pioneering a cultural revolution. By stripping away the rigid formality of the traditional opera house, they are delivering world-class vocal performances into the ultra-luxury spaces of the modern elite: private estates, yacht clubs, historic manors, and aviation hangars.
From Uruguay to the Global Stage: An Instinctive Musical Destiny
Guzzo’s journey to becoming an international opera phenomenon is an inspiring testament to following one’s instinct. Growing up in Uruguay, his path was far from predetermined. Guzzo did not come from a musical family, and in a country dominated by soccer, local opera productions were rare and classical singing was not nurtured in schools. Guzzo discovered the art form instinctively in his youth, driven by a deep, innate passion that would go on to define his life.
This organic connection to music shaped his entire career. Guzzo went on to build a commanding global presence, famously singing alongside Andrea Bocelli under the baton of Plácido Domingo, Gustavo Dudamel and touring the United States in the starring role of South Pacific, and performing as the legendary anti-hero in Don Giovanni with Opera Hong Kong among many others.
Redefining Luxury Entertainment with Greenwich Opera
Last spring, Guzzo’s spellbinding power was on full display as the featured entertainer at the elite Wings, Wheels & Water party. The event was a celebration of luxury complimenting the Steelpointe Yacht Show and was hosted at Three Wing Aviation’s hangar at Sikorsky Airport in Stratford, Connecticut. Opera was not the ostensible purpose of the event, but Guzzo stole the show with an electric performance that dominated the space, captivating an audience that had not expected an Opera. It served as a perfect proof of concept for Guzzo’s ultimate artistic proposition that opera belongs everywhere.
To realize this vision fully, Guzzo and De Beer founded Greenwich Opera, a non-profit dedicated to making Opera accessible for everyone with world-class talent set in unconventional venues. De Beer assumed the role of President, and orchestrated a curation of intimate performances in its celebrated Manor Series, transforming architecturally significant and unexpected spaces into intimate sanctuaries of sound. This expanded further into other luxury venues where Opera complimented luxury experiences.
Breaking the Fourth Wall of Classical Music
Greenwich Opera purposefully and seamlessly deconstructs the separation between the artist and the audience. Instead of watching a distant stage from a balcony, guests experience outstanding opera unfolding just feet away. The company’s productions have brought breathtaking acoustic experiences to historic castles and lavish country manors, private backcountry estates, and even the aforementioned luxury aviation hangars. Guzzo shocked an audience with a performance at the Ferrari Club of America’s Annual Experience fashion show at Monticello Motor Club in New York. Guzzo swept the audience away with a completely unexpected opening performance that leveraged his powerful voice to set the stage. During the fashion show, a vocalist performed on the runway while models strutted their wares in synchronization. It was a revolutionary interpretation of what a fashion show can be.
A Synergy of Masterworks and Millions in Rare Instruments
Greenwich Opera also hosts more traditional performances as well. Last December, during Greenwich Opera’s Holiday Backcountry Estate Performance, the Company married an exceptional set of violins with an all-star cast of Opera performers. Hosted inside a sumptuous private estate, the candlelit evening combined monumental vocal performances with historic instrumental curation.
A bold repertoire spanning Georges Bizet, Léo Delibes, Giacomo Puccini, Antonín Dvořák, Umberto Giordano, Astor Piazzolla, George Gershwin, and Stephen Sondheim set the canvas for amazing artists to paint upon. What elevated the acoustic experience to unparalleled heights was a unique partnership with Barnes Fine Violins and The Guarneri Society. Guests were treated to the resonance of historic instruments, including a rare 1716 Antonio Stradivari violin, played by acclaimed Romanian violinist Robert Dumitrescu. Experts from Barnes International shared insights with collectors and patrons regarding the timeless craftsmanship and investment significance of these instruments.
Guzzo’s commanding baritone anchored an evening that also served as a launchpad for the industry’s brightest emerging stars. Alejandro Roca, masterfully anchored the program on piano, and an exceptional American tenor, Ryan Capozzo, performed ahead of highly anticipated debuts with the Seattle Opera and Irish National Opera. Jillian Tate, a luminous soprano and recent Yale graduate, is already a Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition district winner. And Tess Klibanoff, a versatile mezzo-soprano, brought profound dramatic depth to the intimate room.
The Vision for 2026 and Beyond: The Opera Supper Club
Greenwich Opera is experiencing a period of remarkable growth. Guided by a philosophy of access, intimacy, and inclusion, Guzzo and De Beer are planning an ambitious expansion for the 2026 season and beyond. The Opera Supper Club, launching across Greenwich, Westchester, and beyond, will anchor this effort with a series weaving music, gastronomy, and luxury brands together, partnering with elite chefs and wineries to bring opera directly to the dinner table. The company is also introducing more casual formats, including intimate morning and afternoon “tea concerts” and breakfast salons, alongside the Artist Trampoline, a foundational residency and mentorship program designed to help young artists transition smoothly from students to touring professionals. All of this effort builds toward the company’s Annual Gala, a high-profile, table-driven seated dinner featuring international stars that will fund Greenwich Opera’s 2027 educational and artistic initiatives.
A Pure, Organic Art Form for the Modern Moment
What Marcelo Guzzo and Anelle De Beer have tapped into is a response to a deep, quiet cultural longing. In a highly digitized world, audiences are hungry for authentic human connection. By bringing the oldest, most emotionally pure form of acoustic entertainment into exclusive, intimate settings, Marcelo Guzzo isn’t just singing the classics—he is ensuring the future of opera remains vibrant, immediate, and utterly magical.
Join the Next Chapter
This October, Greenwich Opera invites collectors, patrons, and family offices to a founders’ event for the Opera Supper Club in Greenwich, Connecticut—an intimate first look at the series before its public launch. The evening precedes the company’s Annual Gala, which will raise funds for Greenwich Opera’s 2027 educational and artistic initiatives.
