BIO

Carmen Giannattasio has blazed a trail across stages the world over. Her unique talent has been in demand worldwide since her career was launched by taking First Prize and the Audience Award at Placido Domingo’s Operalia, Paris in 2002. Her lustrous soprano voice and her dramatic ability gained her immediate critical attention and a reputation as a chameleon, able to adapt her tune and skin to the different heroines she embodies.
She has become an acclaimed fixture on the most important stages of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Teatro alla Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, Berlin State Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Bolshoi.
Carmen Giannattasio’s extensive repertoire includes composers like Monteverdi, Mozart, Gluck, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti,Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Puccini, Mascagni.
Since being chosen to front important new bel canto recordings by Opera Rara, who champion rarely performed operas of the 19th century, she has distinguished herself in Rossini’s La donna del lago, Donizetti’s Parisina and in particular Rossini’s Ermione – a performance which has earned her plaudits from leading critics worldwide, with the recording winning the 2011 Gramophone Opera Award. Her recordings with the English label also include Bellini’s Il Pirata (2010) and Donizetti’s Caterina Cornaro (2011).

 

CURRENT SEASON

Engagements of 2020/2021 include
Il Crepuscolo dei Sogni from an idea of J. Erath in Palermo, Tosca at Sydney Opera House, La Boheme in Hamburg, I Masnadieri at Bayerische Staatsoper, a new production of Falstaff at Aix en Provence Festival, Tosca at Wiener Staatsoper, Falstaff in Lyon, Gala concert in Dubai, Tosca at DeutscheOper Berlin.

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF PAST SEASONS

It wasn’t only the favour of the critics Carmen Giannattasio won by stepping in at the eleventh hour for John Copley’s production of La Boheme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2012. This triumphant debut also began a new chapter in her career, starting with her debut at Metropolitan Opera in New York as Leonora in David McVicar’s production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore in September of the same year. Following performances in two of the world’s leading opera houses, Carmen opened the season at Teatro San Carlo, Naples with a glamorous performance as Violetta in the triumphant production of La Traviata directed by renowned Italian/Turkish film director Franz Ozpetek, who described her as: “first class… fiery and sensual”.

Carmen’s engagements kept rising over 2013 and the soprano found herself in major venues both at home and abroad. Highlights of 2013 were Mrs Alice in Robert Carsen’s new production of Verdi’s Falstaff at La Scala, MilanVerdi‘s La Traviata at Hong Kong Arts Festival, Leonora in Philipp Stolzl’s new production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore at Wien Festwochen, Desdemona in Jose Cura’s new production of Verdi’s Otello at Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires, Alice in Blakeley’s new production of Falstaff at Los Angeles Opera conducted by James Conlon. Giannattasio’s solo performance at the New Year’s concert at La Fenice, Veniceunder the baton of Diego Matheuz in 2014 was broadcast worldwide, opening a very busy season for the eclectic soprano. Besides a main role in Verdi’s Requiem in Valencia Palau de las ArtesTurandot (Liu’) at Teatro Regio of Turin conducted by P. Steinberg and at Arena of Verona, La Boheme (Mimí)Il Trovatore at Teatro La Fenice in Venice and in Simon Boccanegra(Amelia) at La Scala, the unstoppable soprano appeared also in Maria Stuarda (Elisabetta)  at Deutsche Oper Berlin in concert version, and, in a new production by Moshe Leiser, at the Royal Opera House in London, to critical acclaim.

Season 2014/15 has included a new production of Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims(Madama Cortese) at  Nationale Opera Amsterdam, followed by her debut in the title role of Bellini’s Norma, presented for the first time in the Middle-east as an highlight of the Al Bustan Festival in BeirutGeorge Loomiswrote in Opera Magazine: “Giannattasio’s first Norma was a considerable achievement”. Her interpretations as Mimí in Götz Friederich’s production of La Bohème at the Deutsche Oper and her performance as Liú in Puccini’s Turandot at San Carlo in March 2015 were highly praised by critics. 2015 also marks Giannattasio’s debut in Asia where she again performed the title role in Norma in Beijing to critical acclaim, warranting her a National Centre of Performing Arts magazine cover and main feature article. In summer 2015 Giannattasio made her debut at Theatre des Champs Elysées in Paris, in Maria Stuarda. In July she played Mimì in La Bohème at Hannover’s Open Air Opera, “The Arena of Verona in the north German lowlands” as described by the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, David McAllister.

2015/16 season has seen Carmen in a new production of Il Trovatore by La Fura del Baus at the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam, a very successful new production of Pagliacci at the Royal Opera House London under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano, which has won The Laurence Olivier award and the critical acclaim. A real triumph in Norma with Munich StaatsoperPagliacci at Berlin’s Deutsche Oper,  Simon Boccanegra at La Scala under the baton of M. W. Chung.

She has been on tour with Teatro Alla Scala with Simon Boccanegra at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre,  Asian Arts Center in Shangai, and opened the new Lotte Concert Hall in Seul.   Carmen has also opened the Edinburgh Festival with Stabat Mater by Rossini conducted by sir Tony Pappano with Accademia di Santa Cecilia.

Carmen has  sung at Vatican’s Sala Nervi in a special concert broadcasted worldwide by RAI Television in presence of his Holiness Pope Francesco.

2016/2017 season she appeared in: a new  David McVicar’s production of Falstaff conducted by Zubin Mehta at the Wiener Staatsoper, La Boheme at Deutsche Oper in Berlin, a new production of Falstaff at Teatro alla Scala conducted by Z. Mehta, La Traviata at Metropolitan in New York, Te Deum by Bruckner at Maggio Musicale fiorentino conducted by Z. Mehta,  I Pagliacci in Dresden, Turandot at 63th Festival Pucciniano in Torre del Lago, Falstaff on Tour with Teatro alla Scala at the Astana Opera in Kazakstan, Pagliacci at ROH Mefistofele at Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich.

In April 2018 she has been nominated as best female artist of the year at the international Opera awards

Season 2018/19 has seen Carmen’s debut as Tosca  in a new production  at San Francisco Opera  by critical acclaim, followed by her return at Champs Elysees in Paris  with one of her signature roles Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda by Donizetti, follewed by Norma at Bayerische Staatsoper, Tosca at Berlin DeutscheOper,her debut as Amalia in Un ballo in maschera in Naples,  followed by Hamburg and Munich in the same role, Norma at the Herodes Atticus in Athens, highly praised by international press in a futuristic new production by La Fura dels Baus, the debut in the title role Giovanna D’arco at Teatro real of Madrid alongside Placido Domingo conducted by J. Conlon. In November she made her debut in Ernani as Elvira  in concert version conducted by D. Rustioni in Lyon, Paris Champs Elysees and Vichy.

Season 2019/20 has brilliantly started with a new production of Tosca at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples by movie director Edoardo De Angelis, wich has been highly praised by the international and national press. Because Covid19 the previewed performances of I Masnadieri and Don Giovanni in Munich have been canceled, so the rest of the schedule. Carmen even in these hard times had possibility to show her artistry with unique events. She shot a short movie for the spot “Campania Sicura” at Ravello Festival singing Wagner for the first time. She has sung Verdi Requiem with Teatro Massimo di Palermo under the baton of O. Meir Wellber, followed by a Gala concert Tour with Teatro di San Carlo.

Season 2020/2021 She has opened the season with the New Year’s concert at Teatro Massimo di Palermo, followed by a genius show in streaming IL Crepuscolo dei Sogni born from an idea of J. Erath and conducted by O.Meir Wellber. Carmen made her debut at The Sydney Opera House in Tosca with both critical and audience acclaim.

Carmen Giannattasio is an ambassador for the jewelers Bulgari and is dressed by couturier Antonio Riva. She is also an ambassador for Carthusia, the Italian brand of perfumes and La Prairie the luxury Swiss brand for skincare.

In February 2017 Carmen has received the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella della Repubblica Italiana.