Renowned Mexican soprano Lourdes Ambriz, who provided the singing voice of Belle in Disney’s 1991 Spanish-language version of “Beauty and the Beast,” died on August 28, 2025, at age 67 after a battle with cancer.
The National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature announced Ambriz’s passing on social media last month, describing her as “a key figure in Mexican lyric poetry renowned for her extensive repertoire spanning opera, oratorio, chamber, Renaissance, and contemporary music.”
Born in Mexico City on July 20, 1958, Ambriz launched her professional career in 1982 with the Compañía Nacional de Ópera del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, making her debut as Olympia in Jacques Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann.” Her crystalline soprano voice quickly established her as one of the most admired figures on the Mexican operatic stage.
While Ambriz gained widespread recognition across Latin America for voicing Belle in the Disney animated classic, her international operatic career spanned more than four decades. She performed with prestigious orchestras including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Orchestra, and the German Chamber Academy.
In 1991, Ambriz debuted in Spain at the Málaga Opera as Marina in Emilio Arrieta’s production. Two years later, she represented Mexico at the 1993 Europalia Festival in Brussels. She toured extensively with the early music ensemble Ars Nova, showcasing Mexican talent on international stages.
Throughout her career, Ambriz championed contemporary opera, premiering works by several composers including Mario Lavista’s “Aura,” Víctor Rasgado’s “El coyote y el conejo” and “Paso del Norte,” Roberto Morales’ “Dunaxii,” Manuel Henríquez Romero’s “Malinalli,” and Hilda Paredes’ “The Seventh Seed.” In 2010, she performed as Eupaforice in Carl Heinrich Graun’s rarely staged “Montezuma,” which toured Germany, Scotland, Spain, and Mexico.
Beyond performing, Ambriz held significant leadership positions in Mexico’s cultural institutions. In 2014, she became Artistic Deputy Director of the Compañía Nacional de Ópera, and from 2015 to 2017, she served as Artistic Director of the Ópera de Bellas Artes, where she promoted innovation and supported Mexican singers on the world stage.
Her contributions to music earned numerous accolades throughout her career. Ambriz received the National Youth Award in 1987, the Mozart Medal in 2006, and the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Medal in 2023. In 2024, she was honored with the Bellas Artes Medal in Music, the highest distinction awarded by the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature.
Ambriz also dedicated herself to education, teaching singing at the School of Fine Arts at the Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. She was a member of the artistic group Cantantes Solistas de Bellas Artes and performed on stages across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East.
Local media reported that Ambriz died from cancer, though her official cause of death was not immediately confirmed. Her recording as Belle’s singing voice in the Spanish version of “Beauty and the Beast” remains a cultural touchstone for Spanish-speaking audiences, cementing her legacy beyond the opera house and making her artistry familiar to millions across Latin America.
Ambriz’s career remained active until 2024, spanning 40 years of international performances and cultural leadership. Her death marks the loss of one of Mexico’s most distinguished sopranos and a significant figure in both classical and popular culture.