Biography
Born in Naples, Maria Grazia Schiavo studied with R. Passaro at the Conservatory in Naples. She gained first prizes in Santa Cecilia Competition in Rome and in Clermont-Ferrand International Singing Competition, and debuted on stage with Roberto De Simone, performing the leading role in La Gatta Cenerentola touring in the most important theatres in Italy and abroad. Her renditions of the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in Turin, Konstanze in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail in Rome and Dircea in Jommelli’s Demofoonte in Salzburg and Paris with Riccardo Muti, recently affirmed her as one of the most interesting soprano of her generation in belcanto repertoire. Among her latest engagements are: Amital in Mozart’s Betulia liberata at the Salzburg Festival under the baton of Riccardo Muti; Dalinda in Handel’s Ariodante with Christophe Rousset at Theater an der Wien; Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Lorin Maazel staged by Jonathan Miller for the inauguration of the Palau de les Arts in Valencia; Almirena in Handel’s Rinaldo at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Ottavio Dantone; Handel’s Partenope at the baroque festival in Beaune, Cleopatra in Handel’sGiulio Cesarea nd Almirena inRinaldo with Ottavio Dantone in Ferrara, Ravenna and Versailles etc. Considered one of the specialist of the 18th century Neapolitan repertoire she sang Demofoonte and Veni Creator in Naples with Maestro Muti and Paisiello’s Pulcinella vendicato, Anfossi’s La finta giardiniera, Piccinni’s Didone abbandonata, De Majo’s Motezuma and Vinci’sPartenope – all with Antonio Florio. In the early baroque Italian repertoire she sang Euridice, La Musica and Proserpina in Monteverdi’s Orfeo at Teatro Real in Madrid with William Christie and Pierluigi Pizzi; Venere in Cavalli’s La Didone in Teatro La Fenice in Venice and Floralba in Cavalli’s Statira in Teatro San Carlo in Naples. She has recorded several CDs for Naïve and Glosa. Recent and future engagements include: Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in Torino with Bruno Campanella and Graham Vick; Mozart‘s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Konstanze) in Roma and Liège; Carmina Burana with Riccardo Muti in Chicago and Carnegie Hall (concert and Live CD); Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro; Clelia in Gluck’s Il trionfo di Clelia in Teatro Comunale Bologna; Nanetta in Falstaff with Daniele Gatti in Amsterdam Netherlands Opera, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte in Teatro Regio Torino etc.
Update: September 2013