Cecilia Gasdia

Cecilia Gasdia (born August 14) is an Italian soprano.

Career

Gasdia was born at Verona, Veneto, northern Italy.

In 1980 at the age of 20, she won the first prize in the “"New Voices for Opera"” Competition dedicated to Maria Callas. She subsequently made her debut in Florence in "I Capuleti e i Montecchi", but real fame was hers when, at last minute, she was called to La Scala in Milan to replace Montserrat Caballé in the title role of Donizetti’s "Anna Bolena": the sensational success of the evening brought her to the attention of orchestra conductors and directors all over the world.

In the 80’s she at the "Teatro Comunale" in Florence made her debut in different roles: "Violetta" in a new production of "La traviata" under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli and conducted by Carlos Kleiber; "Nannetta" in a production of "Falstaff" conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini; "Anne Trulove" in "The Rake's Progress" directed by Ken Russell and conducted by Riccardo Chailly, furthermore she appeared in Paris in Rossini’s "Moise", Verdi’s "Jérusalem" and "La traviata", this last opera conducted by Zubin Mehta.

She subsequently made her debut in the United States in "Rigoletto" in Philadelphia and New York City with Riccardo Muti, with whom she had sung before Rossini’s "Stabat Mater" at the "Edinburgh International Festival".

She is one of the most internationally appreciated singers of Rossini’s work, and her repertoire includes fourteen roles of this talented composer; the collaboration with "Rossini Opera Festival" in Pesaro, which began in 1983 with "Mosè in Egitto", has continued over the years with "Le comte Ory", "Il viaggio a Reims" conducted by Claudio Abbado of which a highly successful record was made by DG, "Maometto II", "Otello" and "Semiramide".

In June 1994, she took part in an extraordinary concert in the "Sarajevo National Library" conducted by Zubin Mehta, performing Mozart’s Requiem alongside José Carreras and Ruggero Raimondi. The concert, dedicated to the victims of the tragedy of ex-Yugoslavia, was broadcast by more than 30 television networks all round the world.

Amongst her most important engagements of the 1997-98 season we underline the production of "L'Orfeo" by Claudio Monteverdi at the "Athens Concert Hall", staged by Pier Luigi Pizzi and conducted by Claudio Scimone, "Un giorno di regno" by Giuseppe Verdi at the "Teatro Regio" in Parma, "L'Orfeo" by Claudio Monteverdi in a production of the "Teatro Comunale" in Florence, "Giulio Cesare" by George Frideric Handel at the "Teatro dell'Opera" in Rome, "L'amico Fritz" by Pietro Mascagni at the "Teatro di San Carlo" in Naples.

During the season 1998-99 she was busy with production of "Il barbiere di Siviglia" at the "New National Theatre" Tokyo, of "L'amico Fritz" at the "Teatro Bellini" in Catania, a series of concerts with Pergolesi’s "Stabat Mater" in Genoa and other Ligurian theatres, in a long series of concerts all over Italy with Claudio Scimone and I Solisti Veneti, with a production of "L'Orfeo" by Antonio Sartorio at the "Teatro" in Fano, Italy conducted by Alberto Zedda, with "The Merry Widow at the "Verona Arena" (in summer 1999).

Amongst her most important engagements of the 2000 season we underline the production of "Pagliacci" by Leoncavallo at the "Teatro Bellini" in Catania conducted by Daniel Oren, of "Le jongleur de Notre-Dame" by Jules Massenet conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti at the "Teatro dell'Opera" in Rome, of "Mosè in Egitto" by Gioachino Rossini under the direction of Pier Luigi Pizzi and conducted by Claudio Scimone at the "Teatro Filarmonico" in Verona.

In January 2001 she met with a personal success in "L'amico Fritz" with Andrea Bocelli at the "Teatro Filarmonico" in Verona. In March-April she was joining Andrea Bocelli on US Spring Tour, eight concerts in U.S. and Canada winning American public’s heart and in June she appeared in a Gala Concert with Andrea Bocelli in Pisa for the reopening of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

In August 2001 she met a great success in "Otello" at the "Teatro Verdi" in Trieste with José Cura and an entusiastic success in Edinburgh at "Edinburgh International Festival" with "Armida" by Rossini.

In February and March 2002 she sang "Pagliacci" by Leoncavallo at the "Teatro Filarmonico-Arena of Verona Foundation" and in April 2002 she debutted "Tosca" by Puccini at the "Opera House" in Cairo with a great personal success. Next may she will sing "The Merry Widow" at "Teatro dell'Opera" in Rome.

During 2003 she sing for Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon and she is the artistic witness in the world for the 25th Anniversary of the Pontificate of John Paul II singing in Rome, Strasbourg, Munich, Buenos Aires and Rabat.

She is also an appreciated performer of refined piano Recitals and symphonic-vocal compositions. She is in particular in close and continuous cooperation (since the beginning of the career) with Claudio Scimone and I Solisti Veneti including an intense recording activity.

External links

*imdb name|id=0309086|name=Cecilia Gasdia
* [http://www.ceciliagasdia.it/ Official Site] it icon en icon