Conductor Alex Prior leads a new studio recording of Richard Strauss’ Salome—Latin America’s first studio recording of a Strauss Opera—made in collaboration with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería at Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City. Recorded in 2024, the recording will be released in 2026.
Prior, who was recently appointed Music Director of the Eugene Symphony, brings nearly two decades of international experience to the project. His vision for this recording centers on the distinctive warmth and color of the Latin American orchestral sound, a deliberate departure from the sharper, more metallic qualities of traditional German ensembles. That vision led him to Minería, Mexico’s most prolific orchestra, recently honored with a Grammy, under the leadership of Luis Antonio Ascencio Almada.
The cast features an exceptional lineup of international soloists, with soprano Ambur Braid in the title role, baritone Nicholas Brownlee as Jochanaan, tenor Stefan Vinke as Herod, and mezzo-soprano Lindsay Ammann as Herodias. Pianist and conductor Abdiel Vázquez, recently appointed Head of Music and Assistant Conductor at the Ópera de Bellas Artes, serves as assistant conductor.
Running parallel to the recording is a documentary film following the entire process, from Prior’s initial conception through his work with the singers and orchestra.
The project brings together world-class artistry and state-of-the-art facilities in service of one of opera’s most electrifying scores.
