Culture
In the frame Klaudya, the Malaga diva who sings in hotels and has triumphed on Spanish TVClaudia Teruel aims to promote the beauty of opera after winning the television talent show Aria, while she carries on earning a living singing in hotels and at events on the Costa del Sol
Málaga
Friday, 6 February 2026, 16:06
She had been holding on to the secret since November, when the recording of the programme finished. And she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief when the mystery was revealed at the beginning of January. It was then that it was officially announced that the winner of the new Spanish TV opera talent show, Aria, Locos por la Ópera, was from Malaga: Claudia Teruel, known artistically as Klaudya. The 35-year-old soprano was raised in the Perchel district of the city - although she now lives in Coín - and trained musically in Switzerland and France, as well as in Galicia and Malaga.
The singer highlights the difficulties in finding a niche in the world of opera, a genre she fell in love with after listening to Maria Callas. Her vocal skills were discovered by a teacher at the Malaga music school and more than a decade later, she remains firm in her goal of devoting herself exclusively to opera, although she is aware of the many difficulties.
"Opera singers in Spain and especially in Andalucía feel very frustrated because we have to go abroad as there are no opportunities here and our work is not recognised."
For this reason (among others) she values very positively programmes such as the one launched by Spanish television (TVE), which has helped opera, usually branded as classist," to reach more audiences".
"This is something I also want to do because I am convinced that those who get to know this genre will love it," she says. That is what happened to her, as she comes from a family where classical music did not exist, although from the very beginning she had their support for her adventure.
Her musical beginnings were in the marching band of the Expiración religious brotherhood, where she spent ten years playing all kinds of instruments, accompanying processions during Holy Week..
She is working on a compilation of arias with an epic touch to launch a recording work
While she was taking her first steps in music, she began to work in the hotel and catering industry as a waitress, a sector in which she continues to work, although from a different perspective, as she now performs "in hotels, restaurants and private events" when she is called upon.
She lives in Coín, where she is "very happy" (and where she sang with the San Juan Bautista Choir) and divides her time between Malaga, where her family lives, and Marbella, which is where she mainly works.
Klaudya admits that after winning the programme on TVE she did not want to create too many expectations for the future, aware that she belongs to a genre that is not as popular as others.
In fact, she does not know if there will be a second season, but she is confident that if the same production company (Gestmusic) continues with the show, they will have her as a guest artist, as she was told they would.
In the meantime, she is pleased that her triumph, at least, can contribute to enhancing Malaga's pool of artistic talent, while for her it is a "recognition of my career".
To begin with, on the Friday after the final of the show was aired she was received at Coín town hall, and for this year, among other projects, she is working on a concert in collaboration with Malaga city hall and is preparing another for November.
At a recent organisational meeting, an orchestra conductor told her that with her triumph she was already "the diva of Malaga, and when I told him that when I started singing I went to rehearse at the Asociación del Perchel they called me the diva of Perchel, he said to me, 'Well, you've gone from being the diva of Perchel to the diva of Malaga'," (she laughs).
Although her role model is Callas, the two are little or nothing alike personally. For example she is happy to sing a capella in the city centre and in the Teatro Cervantes at the request of this newspaper in her efforts to bring her beloved opera to the people.
New name
After a hiatus, she returned to music in 2021 and did so with a new name, inspired by Norse mythology. As she explains, she included the runes jena (y) and kenaz (k) in her name, symbols loaded with meaning since the 'k' means inner light and creativity and the 'y' is a reward for effort, "which reminds us that everything comes in its time", she proudly proclaims.
This is a declaration of intent as she is preparing "a compilation of arias and pop opera to launch a record".
For winning the first edition of Aria, she picked up a prize of 15,000 euros and the opportunity to perform at the prestigious International Festival of Music and Dance in Granada. One more stage on her journey towards her dream.