Francisco Araiza (born October 4, 1950), is a highly decorated Mexican operatic tenor. Amongst the tenor's most significant achievements have been the conferring of the Kammersänger of the Wiener Staatsoper on him in 1988 and the granting of his permanent membership of the Opernhaus Zürich in 1977. Araiza established his reputation in the international operatic industry with the Mozart and Rossini tenor roles that he is now renowned for. Already known as one of the best interpreters in the lyric repertory of his earlier years, his later direction led him to the heavier lirico spinto, the French and heavier German repertory (with roles like Edgardo, Alfredo, Duke of Mantua, Riccardo III, Don Alvaro, Don Carlo, Cavaradossi, Pinkerton, Rodolfo, Calaf, Andrea Chénier, Des Grieux, Faust, Hoffmann, Werther, Romeo, Don José, Lenski) and the young Wagnerian heroes, Lohengrin, Stolzing, Loge, Parsifal and Siegmund. Born and educated in Mexico City, Francisco Araiza studied voice with Irma Gonzalez in the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica and German repertory with Erika Kubacsek. At the same time he earned his degree in Business Administration at the University of Mexico City UNAM.