Villaz‹n has recorded two solo albums for Virgin Classics: a collection of Italian arias and another of French arias.

"I have had a great start to my recording career with Virgin Classics," Villaz‹n said in a statement. "That the next phase of it will be on Deutsche Grammophon is a dream come true. It is a privilege to become part of a history of vocal recordings that goes all the way back to Caruso—and includes many of Plšcido Domingo's supreme achievements."

"Rolando has it all: the voice, the heart, the musicianship, the razor-sharp intelligence, the sense of humor, the eyebrows...," Bogdan Rozcic, Deutsche Grammophon's head of artists and repertoire, said. "I knew we had to record him the first time I heard him. He will be a superstar on the opera stage and far beyond it for many years to come."

Villaz‹n grew up in Mexico City and studied at National Conservatory of Music there; he was discovered by a representative of Columbia Artists Management while working as a stage manager. He made his European debut in Genoa in 1999 and has since sung with L.A. Opera, New York City Opera, and many other companies. He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera and Covert Garden in 2003-04.