Jessica Pratt

Biography

The soprano Jessica Pratt is one of the world’s most exciting contemporary bel canto repertoire singers. Since her European debut, in 2007 at the Teatro Sociale di Como,  performing in the title role of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, she has been invited to major festivals and opera houses worldwide, including the Met in New York, La Scala in Milan, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Opernhaus Zürich and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Over the past 17 years, Jessica Pratt has appeared in 143 productions at 93 venues, in 80 cities in 13 countries. Her repertoire encompasses 48 roles, primarily in works by Gaetano Donizetti, Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini. During her illustrious career, she has dazzled in numerous remarkable opera revivals, with one of the most noteworthy being at the Rossini in Wildbad bel canto festival.

Born in Bristol, UK, Jessica Pratt grew up in Australia. After completing her vocal studies in Italy with Renata Scotto and Gianluigi Gelmetti at the Opera di Roma, she now prepares her roles with Lella Cuberli. Her discography is extensive indeed, including CDs of Rossini’s Otello, Nicola Vaccai’s La sposa di Messina and DVD/Blu-Ray recordings of Verdi’s opera Giovanna d'Arco (Festival della Valle d’Itria), Rossini‘s Adelaide di Borgogna, Ciro in Babilonia and Aureliano in Palmira (Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro), Bellini’s La sonnambula (Teatro La Fenice in Venice), and Donizetti’s Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (La Scala in Milan). Her most recent album, Delirio (Tancredi Records, 2023), made with the Orchestra del Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, conducted by Riccardo Frizza, features famous virtuoso scenes of mad or sleepwalking Bellini and Donizetti heroines.

Photo: Benjamin Ealovega