Soprano
World
Highly appreciated both for her beautiful voice and for her vocal and acting skills, Italian soprano Maria Novella Malfatti graduated from the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago (April 2022).
As a member of the Ryan Opera Center, she had the chance to have her debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago, being part of several productions: Macbeth directed by Sir David McVicar and under the baton of Enrique Mazzola, L’elisir d’amore (Adina) and Die Zauberflöte (Pamina) in Barrie Kosky’s productions, Woglinde in Wagner’s Das Rheingold.
Since 2017, she has performed regularly at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl under the baton of Gustav Kuhn, singing the roles of Tamiri in Mozart’s Il re pastore, Musetta in La bohème, Cleone in Rossini’s Ermione, and A Young Shepherd in Tannhäuser, as well as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio.
Other highlights of her career are Semiramide and Norma both in concert conducted by Michele Mariotti, at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Kurt Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen and directed by Ivo Van Hove, Bach’s St. John Passion in Utrecht and Oosterhout, conducted respectively by Bernhard Touwen and Rick Muselaers.
Maria Novella Malfatti graduated with ‘top marks & Cum Laude’ in Classical Voice from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, under the guidance of Sasja Hunnego. Prior to her studies in Amsterdam, she studied violin at the Conservatory “L. Boccherini” of Lucca with Alberto Bologni, then she dedicated herself to singing, studying with Janet Perry and Raina Kabaivanska at Accademia Chigiana of Siena, with Don Marrazzo and participating in masterclass at Mozarteum in Salzburg.
She has also distinguished herself in several international competitions. a district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2021, a finalist in the 52nd International Vocal Competition of s’ Hertogenbosch in 2018, Third Prize at the “Ferruccio Tagliavini” International Competition for Opera Singers in Deutschlandsberg, Austria in 2016. She has also been the only Italian singer selected to compete in Operalia 2022.
LATEST PERFORMANCES: La traviata (Violetta) in Nantes, Rennes and Angers and at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf; La bohème (Mimì) in the theatres of Opera Lombardia; La bohème (Musetta) at Opera Carlo Felice in Genoa, Le nozze di Figaro (Countess Almaviva) at Teatro Comunale di Bologna; Glück’s Iphigénie en Tauride (Diane) at Olympia Theater in Athens with George Petrou.
FORTHCOMING PROJECTS: La bohème (Musetta) at Teatro Regio di Parma and in Reggio Emilia; Il trovatore (Leonora) with Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano; La bohème (Mimì) at Festival Puccini in Torre del Lago; La traviata, Rigoletto (Gilda) and Il trovatore (Leonora) at Teatro Municipale di Piacenza.
