JENNY BALLARINI Soprano, born in Ravenna in 1976, began her musical studies at the age of nine as a pianist at the established "G. Verdi" institute in Ravenna. 
In 1996 she took on singing studies under the guidance of Prof. L. Macnez at the "G. Rossini" Conservatory in Pesaro where she also frequented a composition course; she attained her diploma in opera singing in 2001 with full marks. 
She was the winner of the 1998 edition of "I Giovani per i Giovani (Young People for Young People)" competition in S. Pietro in Vincoli (Ra) in the soloist singing category and of the 2002 edition of the "Dino Caravita" competition for young musicians and singers in Fusignano. 
She has performed in numerous recitals and concerts throughout Italy and abroad, collaborating with the "G. Rossini" Conservatory Orchestra of Pesaro, with the Pesaro Symphony Orchestra and with the Ukrainian Philharmonic Orchestra of Donetsk under the guidance of directors such as L. Ferrara, M. Benzi, S. Cucci and A. Dolinsky. 
In 1998 she frequently interpreted the part of Serpina in the intermezzo musical "La serva padrona" by G. Pergolesi. 
In 2000 she took part in the preparation of the opera "Dido and Aeneas" by H. Purcell in Pesaro under the direction of Maestro L. Ferrara.
In April 2002 she participated in the realization of the "La Clementina" zarzuela by Boccherini at the Giglio Theatre in Lucca, directed by Maestro Herbert Handt and produced by F. Crivelli. 
She assisted in the preparation of the opera "Il Turco in Italia" by G. Rossini at the "Rossini Opera Festival" in Pesaro (2002 edition). 
Her repertoire includes numerous works by composers such as Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute , Don Giovanni, All Women Behave That Way, Idomeneo), Bellini (I Capuleti e i Montecchi, La Sonnambula), Donizetti (L'Elisir d'Amore, Don Pasquale), Puccini (La Bohème, Gianni Schicchi) and Rossigni. Also sacred compositions such as Faurè's Requiem, Mozart's Requiem, Stabat Mater by G. Pergolesi, Magnificat by G. Giordani, Te Deum by A. Charpentier, together with "Laudes Evangelii" by V. Bucchi, performed in April 2001 at the Pedrotti Auditorium in Pesaro under the direction of Maestro L. Ferrara. 
She is also dedicated to chamber music and to Lied and has held numerous concerts (Pesaro, Urbino, Rosignano (Li), Ravenna) interpreting works of Monteverdi, Carissimi, Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Debussy, Zanella and Faurè. She has followed many master classes of Baroque music held by its most authoritative exponents in Italy, including C. Miatello.
 

EVGHENIA DUNDEKOVA MEZZOSOPRANO.
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria E. Dundekova began her musical studies at a young age graduating from the Music Hit School. In 1977 she traveled from her native home to Italy. There she completed her musical training in piano and voice at the "G. Rossini" conservatory of Pesaro, graduating with honors.
E. Dundekova has been the winner of several international competitions such as: F. Vignas - Barcelona, The International competition of "Rossini" foundation - Pesaro, contest for opera, Falstaff - Alessandria, First international television competition "M. Callas", "La Scala" theatre specialization course for opera singers competition. She has studied with such renowned teachers as: E. Campogalliani, A. Tonini, G. Favaretto, L. Polli, M. Couraud, E. Muller, G.Simionato. During her career E. Dundekova has sung leading roles in many of the major International opera houses throughout the world including: La Scala, La Fenice, Koln, Lisbon, Marseilles, Zurich, Bologna, Florence, Trieste, Palermo, Caracas, Naples, Rome, Barcelona, Rio de Janiero, Dublin, Verona, Regio di Parma, Lucerna, Paris, Frankfurt, Lyons, Avignon, Nimes, Montpelier, Canada, Antverpen, Teneriff, America, Giappone, Correa, Stutgart, Turkey.
E. Dundekova sings a vast repertoire of music. She is a specialist in Early Music and is highly praised for her interpretations of the music of Gluck, L. Rossi - Orfeo, Carissimi, and Parsel. In classical repetory she is heraled for her interpretations of Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini.
Her most celebrated roles are Amneris, Azucena, Eboli, Favorita, Orfeo, Adalgisa, Santuzza, and Rosina. She has also had an active career as a soloist performing with RAI Orchestra of Milan, and the orchestras of Rome, Naples, Pesaro, Bari, Nimes, Paris, Sofia, and Trieste.
She has sung under the direction of such acclaimed conductors as: Abbado, Delman, Zedda, Gavazzeni, Gelmetti, Sebastian, Neuhold, Neschling, Conlon, Giovaninetti, Veltri, Strehler, Ronconi, Pizzi, Secqui, Barena, Gheorghiev, and Aleksandrov. In addition she has sung with world renowned artists: M. Freni, R. Bruson, P.Cappuccilli, N. Ghiaurov, J. Carreras, K. Ricciarelli, A. Tomova - Sintow, Guliegina, Bartolini, Pavarotti, A.Millo among others.
E. Dundekova, in addition to her role as a singer, is a voice teacher. Since 1989 she has taught in the "N. Piccini" Conservatory of Bari. She is currently a teacher at the "G. Rossini" Conservatory of Pesaro.
E. Dundekova has been on the commission of several international competitions including: A. Catalina, Fr. Cilea, Lauri Volpi, Vissi d'Arte, Tito Schippa, U. Giordano, Nicolosi, and Bologna.
She is currently an active participant in courses of opera and chamber music for young singers. She has held courses in Treviso, Molfetta, Bari, Salzburg, Bulgaria, Nimes, Tokyo, Seoul, Espugna - Teneriff, and Munich.
 

ENRICA FABBRI, born in Pesaro, began learning the piano at the age of 5, then going on to study at the “G. Rossini” Conservatoire in her home town, whilst finishing her education in classics.
Her interest in opera singing took her at the age of 19 to the conservatoire “G. nicolini” di Piacenza, then on to Salzburg, under Oriana Branisteanu’s tuition (Professor at the “Musikhochschule Mozarteum) finishing with a diploma from the Conservatoire “l. Campiani” di Mantua.
Between 1997-1998 she took part in the new productions of the “La Bohème” (Mimi) and Falstaff (Alice) in Badgestein and Spittal (Austria).
In 2000 she won second prize at the “Concorso Internazionale Arenzano” in the homonymous town of the Italian riviera, and the third prize at the International Singing Competition of “Cascinalirica” in Cascina (PI); finalist in 2001 at the International Singing Competition of opera singing of the “Teatro Rosetum” in Milan, she made her bedut as Amelia in “Simon Boccanegra”, for the “verdiano” centinary.
In July 2001 she was finalist in the Toti dal Monte di Rovigo Competition.
In 2001 she played Madama Cortese in Gioachino Rossini’s “Viaggio a Reims” at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, followed by the Countess in Mozart’s “Nozze di Figaro” in Mantua. In 2002 she performed R. Wagner’s “I Wesendonk Lieder” for the “Fondazione Arena” in Verona with M° Fabio Fapanni and that same summer she played at the “Tiroler Festspiel” of Kufstein (Austria) where, under the direction of M° Gustav Kuhn, singing Gioachino Rossini’s “Petite Messe Solonnelle” and some of J.S. Bach’s songs “Aus dem Schemellischen Gesangsbuch” (concerts at kufstein, telfs, Landeck, Tannheim and Linz). In December of the same year, in the Teatro delle muse in Ancona, she understudied for Daniela Dessì for the role of Cio Cio San in “Madama Butterfly” by Giacomo Puccini.
In July 2003 she performed Leoncavallo’s “pagliacci” and Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” in Mantua, Piacenza, Vigevano and Milan. Recently she has been giving many concerts, memorably Faurè “Requiem” and an evening of Schubert Lieder at the Teatro San Domenica of Crema, she made an appearance in Pesaro for the philharmonic concert season where she sang Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater” and a selection of arias taken from G. Rossini’s operas. She was also invited to Parma Lirica where you sang with the baritone Ambrogio Maestri. She also received her degree in Musicology from Pavia (seat in Cremona) with honors and is now a singing teacher at the Milan Accademia della voce.
 

FIAMMA LAURI soprano, was born in Fano (PU). She started singing as a soloist at the age of 16, under the direction of M° Gianfranco Carboni; she brilliantly graduated in Singing at the Conservatorio di Musica “G. Rossini” in Pesaro, under the guidance of Maria Clara Ziegler. She has held many concerts, passing from Baroque to Modern music and Musicals.
As a soloist, she took part in the opera “Il Signor Bruschino” by G. Rossini in 1987, at the G. Rossini Theatre in Pesaro and in 1994 at the Teatro Sociale in Mantova, singing the role of Marianna. In 1993, she sang the role of Kate Pinkerton in the opera “Madama Butterfly” by G. Puccini at the Corte Malatestiana in Fano. In 1997, she sang in the opera “Tosca” by G. Puccini, as Pastorello, at the Regina Theatre in Cattolica and at the Bonci Theatre in Cesena. She has recorded for RAI broadcasting company and held concerts, singing contemporary music, chamber music and opera concerts throughout Italy and in Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Croatia. She sang the role of Filia in Carissimi’s Jepthe and has sung several oratorios and sacred music by Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Haydn, Pergolesi, Giordani and Rossini. She has sung at the opera seasons in Macerata, Osimo, Jesi, Fabriano and Ancona, as a member of the Bellini Opera Chorus of Ancona; at the opera seasons in Fano in the M. Agostini Opera Chorus. She has held opera performances and concerts with the Coro Pro Arte, under the direction of Gustav Kuhn, Daniel Oren, Carlo Rescigno.
She has worked as a vocal and musical coach in the Coro Fanum Fortunae of Fano, with the Maestros V. Piaggesi and A. Giacomucci, in the M. Agostini Opera Chorus in Fano. She has taken part in several workshops: Course for Vocal Technique and Interpretation held by M° William Matteuzzi, Singing Course – Werberck Method (Stainerian), held by M° Merja Rautio from the Singing School of Laulukoulu (Finland), Master class for Choral singing held by the King’s Singers. At present, she is concentrating on professional and spiritual research in relation to the therapeutic qualities of singing. She one of the founder members of the Associazione del Libero Canto, that promotes the studying of the inner and outer voice, as a tool of introspection.
She has worked as voice coach for the Corale di San Marino and is still doing this for the San Carlo and Santa Maria di Loreto di Pesaro choirs, teaching classical and pop singing. As a voice coach and singer she has collaborated with M° Simone Baiocchi in some works by M° Domenico Bartolucci – Perpetual Conductor of the Cappella Musicale Sistina, such as “La tempesta sul lago” (The storm), “Baptisma” (Baptism), “Stabat Mater”. As a soloist, she sang in “Missa Jubilaei” conducted by Domenico Bartolucci (broadcast by TelePace and Sat 2000).
Her recordings include: with the Coro San Carlo “InCanto e Musica” in 1997 and “In Dulci Jubilo” in 2000, conductor M° Lucia Oliva; in 2001 with the choir Santa Maria di Loreto and Coro San Carlo di Pesaro “Baptisma, Missa Jubilaei, Haec Dies” by Domenico Bartolucci for the Edizioni Cappella Sistina, conductor Domenico Bartolucci and in 2003 Bach’s Cantatas No. 140 and 147 - conductor S. Baiocchi.
Festival edition: 2004.
 

ELISABETTA LOMBARDI was born in Pergola (PS). She attended the "G. Rossini" Conservatory in Pesaro and subsequently attained her diploma at the "G. Verdi" Conservatory in Turin with full marks and merit under the guidance of Elio Battaglia. Following this she frequented a three-year singing course at the Pescara Music Academy and she studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg with H. Höll and with M. Shirai at the International-Bach-Academy in Stuttgart with J. Beckmann. She won a scholarship at the W. Walton Foundation in Ischia where she participated in a master class with G. Johnson and E. Sams.
She won second prize in the 1993 vocal chamber music competition in Conegliano. In 1999 she won first prize in the "Instruments and the Twentieth Century" competition dedicated to the vocal chamber music of the century; she was a finalist in the Mozart competition held by the CIDIM in 1992 and she represented Italy in the "Cardiff Singer of the World" competition in Great Britain. Her opera debut was at the Regio Theatre in Turin with Humperdinck's "Hänsel and Gretel", playing the part of Hänsel; she then took part in numerous productions among which some of the most significant were: "The Marriage of Figaro" in the rôle of Marcellina at the Lauro Rossi Theatre in Macerata; "Capriccio" by Strauss in the rôle of Clairon held at the Municipal Theatre in Parma; "Madame Butterfly" by Puccini playing the part of Suzuki at the Municipal Theatre in Modena; "Carmen" by Bizet in the rôle of Mercedes at the Pergolesi Theatre in Iesi; "Manon Lescaut" by Puccini in the theatres of Lucca, Pisa and Leghorn, playing the part of a musician; "Amico Fritz" by Mascagni in the rôle of Caterina at the San Carlo Theatre in Naples; "Zanetto" by Mascagni in the rôle of Zanetto at the Torre del Lago Theatre. Furthermore, she participated in the concert rendition of "Arianna in Nasso" by Strauss as composer for the Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra of Milan and at the Municipal Theatre in Bologna. She also performed in "Ermione" by Rossini in the rôle of Cefisa at the Altes Schauspielhaus in Berlin with the Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra of Berlin.
She carries out intense concert activities within the field of chamber music and oratorio. She has held numerous concerts in Italy, Germany, Austria and the United States among which: A concert for the Ravenna Festival, the International Piano Festival of Bergamo and Brescia, numerous concerts for the Umbria Music Festival, the September Music of Turin, the Panatenee of Agrigento, the Imola Festival, the San Leo Festival, at the Trinity College of Connecticut (USA), at the Berlin Philharmonic season, in Düsseldorf, Münster, Leverkusen, Cologne, at the Erl (Tirolo) Festival. She participated in a tour of ten concerts with the Haydn Orchestra of Bolzano and Trento for the rendition of Mozart's "Requiem", with the Tuscany Regional Orchestra for the performance of Haydn's "Creation" in Italy and Austria. She took part in a tour with the Collegium Musicum of Berlin for the performance of Mozart's "Coronation Mass", sang Mendelssohn's "Elias" at Rosenheim with the Stuttgart Philharmonics and, at the Munich Philharmonic, Bach's St. Matthew Passion under the direction of E. zu Guttemberg. Recently, she performed Stravinsky's "Les Noces" at the Arts Festival of Reykjavick and for the Twentieth Century Music Festival in Trento.
She has recorded a Coriolan CD of "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart (Marcellina) and a Bongiovanni CD of Galuppi's "The World Backwards" (Aurora). She has also recorded two CDs with Pergolesi's "Messa Romana", "Stabat Mater" and "Confitebor tibi domine" for the Pergolesi Foundation of Iesi. A CD of the "Messa San Carlo", by Armando Antonelli, a composer from the Marches region of Italy, is shortly to be released.
She has recorded for RAI 1, RAI 3 and BBC television and for the Deutschlandradio of Berlin.
She teaches singing at the established "Pergolesi" Music Institute in Ancona and has held summer master classes in Matelica (MC) for the "Know the Author" Festival of Fabriano during the Friends of Music concert season. At the Malatestiana Academy in Rimini she has prepared students vocally for master classes held by Luciano Pavarotti, Katia Ricciarelli and Mauro Trombetta. She has taken part, as teacher, in a course organized by the Marches regional authorities and sponsored by the European Community for the "musical and variety entertainment heritage in the province of Pesaro" and aimed at the formation and training of cultural operators.
Festival edition: September 2004.
 

LUISA MACNEZ, soprano, was born in Pesaro. She studied singing and graduated at the Conservatorio G. Rossini in Pesaro.
She won several national and international contests and was awarded of special prizes. She has sung in important theatres, such as La Scala, Arena di Verona, Comunale di Treviso, Regio di Parma, Sferisterio di Macerata, Rossini di Pesaro, Comunale di Modena, Municipale di Reggio Emilia, Comunale di Bologna, Comunale di Ferrara, Alighieri di Ravenna, Bonci di Cesena, Verdi di Padova, Verdi di Trieste, Giordano di Foggia, Filarmonico di Verona, Ventidio Basso di Ascoli Piceno, Pergolesi di Jesi and others. Abroad: Austria, Germany, Switzerland and United States.
She sang with Mario del Monaco, Luciano Pavarotti, Franco Corelli, Giuseppe Giacomini, Robleto Merolla, Piero Cappuccilli, C. Mac Neil, Aldo Protti, Grace Bumbry, Raina Kabaiwanska, Fiorenza Cossotto and others.
Her voice is particularly fit for Puccini’s roles, such as Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Boheme, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Turandot (Liù). She sang other roles, like Donizetti’s and Bizet’s and modern compositions.
She was awarded with the “Premio Riccione” (Riccione Prize) for her shows.
For many years, she has taught singing in Ferrara, Bologna, Cesena and, currently, in Pesaro, her native city.
Festival edition: August and September 2004.
 

MARIA PARAZZINI A sensitive opera soprano
Born in Cattolica, Maria Parazzini carried out her singing studies at the "G.Rossini" Conservatory in Pesaro. Consequently, she passed on to the Chigiana Academy specialization school in Siena, the Massimo Theatre operatic centre in Palermo, and to the Musical Holidays in Venice under the guidance of the great soprano, Gina Cigna. She made her debut in Giuseppe Verdi's "la Traviata" at the Massimo Theatre in Palermo and she has participated in the International Festival of Edinburgh, performing in Verdi's "Attila".
She is considered to be one of the finest opera singers in the world of operatic theatre. A consideration deriving from her versatility and singular vocal qualities, her distinct Verdi style and the exceptional adaptability of her beautiful voice that is capable of interpreting a wide repertoire ranging from Donizetti to Puccini, from Rossini to almost the entire Verdi repertoire, and from her performances of prestigious parts that have, by now, established her on the world stage. She has also performed in the following Italian theatres : La Fenice in Venice, the Municipal Theatre in Bologna, the Regio Theatre in Turin, the Opera in Rome, the Bellini in Catania, the Regio Theatre in Parma, the Arena in Verona, the Caracalla Baths, the Scala Theatre in Milan. Also in the theatres of Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Sofia and San Francisco.
She has sung under the direction of some of the greatest conductors such as : Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Claudio Abbado, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Gustav Kuhn, De Fabritis, Renzetti, etc. Also with prestigious colleagues such as : Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Evgehnjj Nesterenko, Carlo Bergonzi, Renato Bruson, Leo Nucci, Piero Cappuccilli, Ferruccio Tagliavini. Nominated singer of the year in 1977, Maria Parazzini has received very prestigious awards including the 'Verdi d'Oro' in Parma, the 'Sagittario d'Oro', the 'Trofeo d'Oro Verdiano' and the Malibran Award.
 

PAOLA FORNASARI PATTI started her musical studies at the conservatoire “F. E. Dall’Abaco” of Verona as a violinist. She then went on to graduate with honours in singing, still at the same conservatoire, in 1983 under Rina Malatrasi’s tuition.
In 1985, in Spoleto, she debutted in Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice”. Since then she has repeatedly performed at the Florence “Comunale”, the “San Carlo” in Naples, at the “Massimo” in Palermo, at the Philharmonic and the Arena in Verona, at the Fermo Festival, the “Torre del Lago”, the Rome Opera house, as well as in Las Palmas, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto.
Her artistic engagements succeed one other intensively, not only in the operatic repertoire but also that of the baroque period, chamber music, and concert and symphonic music. Among others she has sung in such operas as: Fioravanti’s “Le cantatrici villane”, Monteverdi‘s “l’Orfeo”, Gluck’s “Orfeo”, Mozart’s “La finta giardiniera”, Verdi’s “Nabucco”, Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana”, Rossini’s “Tancredi” and Henze’s “Pollicino”. She has sung under the direction of such conductors as Guadagno, Santi, Severini, Oren, Scimone, Bartoletti, Renzetti, Arena.
She was a soloist in Bach’s Magnificat for Salvatore Sciarrino’s production of the ballet “Death in Venice” with Rudolf Nureyev, which premiered in Verona. She performed together with Giuseppe Cederna, in the creation of “Una volta c’era un re”, in the national premiere, commissioned by Maetro Tutino from Filippo del Corno and Carlo Boccadoro, set to music by Rossini, for the “Pomeriggi Musicali di Milano”.
Continually in evolution, her repertoire ranges from the baroque period to today. Her voice is particularly adapted to trouser roles and all those for medium sopranos, with particular emphasis on the Bellinian, Mozartian, romantic and late romantic repertoire. Refined performer of church music, she has often sung Rossini’s “Petite Messe Solennelle”, Vivaldi’s “Gloria”, Bach’s “St John’s Passion”, Scarlatti’s “Messa di Santa Cecilia”, Beethoven’s Ninth symphony and Mozart’s “Requiem”. Her voice is also adapted to chamber music, especially that of France, to late romantic and beginning of the twentieth century chamber music (Italian, French and English), and to music by Gershwin, C. Porter, L. Bernstein etc, all of which she performs often.
Important meeting for her professionally have been those with the directors Giulio Chazalettes, Beppe Menegatti, Roberto de Simone, Cobelli, Pierluigi Pizzi, Graham Vick, Hugo De Ana, and with Sesto Bruscantini and Marilyn Horne who guided her towards a more appropriate artistic dimension, helping her to deepen her continual and personal stylistic search.
Since 1992, alongside her artistic activities, Paola Fornasari Patti has taught. She often gives singing masterclasses in Italy and abroad, especially in Japan; she is a singing professor at the Conservatoire “A. Pedrollo” of Vicenza, and is founder, president and artistic and didactical director of the Kairòs Association (artistic teaching to singers and actors) based in Verona.
Author and director of many theater shows including: “Senza titolo” (show in prose by Tagore); “Assolo. Storie di un Tango” (music by Astor Piazzolla); “Shakespeare: la musica della sua poesia” ( Shakespeare’s text to music); “Welcome” ( to music by Gershwin, Porter, Kander, Ebb, Youmans, etc…); “Verdi: realtà immutata nel tempo” (play to Verdi’s music from “Traviata”, “Falstaff”, and “Otello”); “Compianto d’Ignacio Sànches Mejìas” by F. G. Lorca (play with music by Obradors, Turina); “West Side Story” by Bernstein; “Il Gatto con gli stivali” by Tutino; “L’opera delle filastrocche” by A. V. Savona for which she received the exception permission, from Casa Ricordi, to adapt it from symphony orchestration to a small ensemble orchestration.
Festival edition: September 2004.
 

MARIKA RIZZO
Qualifications: diploma in singing, degree in philosophy and literature. Prices won in international singing competitions: Rai - Ginevra - Vercelli. Artistic career: chamber music, Oratorio and operatic concerts in Italy and abroad with Pizzetti, Ghedini, Baroni, P. Maag, Caracciolo, Franci, etc. as conductors. Teaching career: singing and staging teacher at the music conservatories of Foggia, Pesaro and Naples. Among her pupils who are already enjoying a brillant career: Bruno De Simone (Baritone), Gennaro Sica (Tenor), Giulio Liguori (Bass), Monica Di Siena (Soprano), Silvia Pasini (Mezzo Soprano). Founder and director of the "Voci Pari" choir of Santa Chiara in Naples; Director of the Santa Cecilia choir in Torre del Greco which has toured Italy and abroad (U.S.A., Turkey, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Barcellona, Lisbon, Locarno, Budapest, Ljubliana).
For 27 years has held special courses in singing for choir masters in Ravenna and for 11 years in Aci S. Antonio (Catanzaro).
She has held workshops in operatic staging for young singers at Cava dei Tirreni and at Lagonegro. Stage direction: "Il maestro di musica" by Pergolesi; "Il campanello" by Donizzetti; "Bastiano and Bastianina" by Mozart; "Il filosofo di campagna" by Galuppi; "Il Quadrifoglio" by Caldara; "Orpheo and Eurydice" by Gluck; "Lo speziale" by Haydn; "Suor Angelica" by Puccini; "The Little Chimneysweep" by Benjamin Britten.
 

CECILIA VALDENASSI, soprano, was born at Padova, Italy, but grew up in Rome where attended musical studies.
She entered numerous national competitions winning study grants.Then she made her debut at Spoleto. Furthermore she took part in RAI-TV international musical contests dedicated to italian composers like Rossini, Bellini, etc. and she won the first prize singing Donizetti's arias.
During her career she was awarded other prizes like: the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation's "Tre Muse d'oro", the "Ghirlandina d'oro" at Modena, the "Giordano d'oro" at Foggia, the "Lauri Volpi" in Rome.
Her repertoire ranges from the early italian baroque to contemporary music compositions. She has also interpreted music rarities as first performance in this century.
She has appeared in the title roles in many of the most important italian Opera Houses like: Fenice and Malibran at Venice, Carlo Felice at Genova, Regio at Parma, ATER (Modena, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara, Bologna), Opera and Olimpico in Rome, Petruzzelli and Piccinni at Bari, Grande at Brescia, Verdi at Pisa, Giglio at Lucca, Sociale at Rovigo, Verdi at Sassari, Comunale at Treviso, Rendano at Cosenza, Nuovo at Spoleto, Morlacchi at Perugia, Politeama at Lecce, Massimo at Palermo, Dante Alighieri at Ravenna, Civico at La Spezia, Comunale at Enna, Giordano at Foggia, Eliseo at Nuoro.
Abroad she has sung in Tolosa, Lyone, Grenoble, Monaco at Baviera, Zurigo, Lugano, Belgrado, Novi Sad, Timisoara and Bucarest, as well as in International Festivals like: Aix-en-Provence, Pesaro, Barga, Città di Castello, Perugia, Siena, Matera, Paestum and prestigious Concert Halls like: S. Cecilia's Academy in Rome, Angelicum in Milano, Accademia Chigiana at Siena, Fondazione Cini at Venice, Filarmonica Romana and Gonfalone's Oratory in Rome, Kodaly's Academy at Assisi and EAOSS at Palermo.
She is singing master at Conservatorio "F. Morlacchi", Perugia.
She recorded at RAI-TV (Milan, Naples, Rome) and Swisse broadcasting in Lugano. She also performed the title roles in the first world recording of G. Rossini's: "Matilde di Shabran" and "Demetrio e Polibio".
Festival edition: August 2004.
 

WILMA VERNOCCHI, soprano, started her singing training encouraged by the soprano Lina Pagliughi, and attended the Rossini Conservatoire in Pesaro and the Martini Conservatoire in Bologna. (1962)
Chosen by the Centro Perfezionamento Artisti Lirici at the Scala, Milan, she studied operatic repertoire under the tutorship of authoratitive teachers and conductors (1966).
From 1964 to 1970, while she was studying, she took part in numerous national and international competitions winning 12 first prizes. This lead to her to debut in the role of Carolina in the opera Il Matrimonio Segreto by Cimarosa at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan in 1966 followed by Mimi in La Boheme at the State Theatre of Sofia. The critics were flattering and Eugenio Gara concluded his article ".. the young Wilma Vernocchi was seriously born for the theatre, we will hear of her again".
She represented Italy in Tokyo at the 2nd World Wide Madama Butterfly Competition. She was the youngest competitor and was the outright winner for the best interpretation of Butterfly (1970). She has sung most often in Japan and a garden has been dedicated to her in the historic Grover Park in Nagasaki, where a monument to Madame Butterfly has been erected.
The prestigious success in Japan permitted her to debut officially at La Scala, Milan in the opera L'Elisir d'amore as Adina with Luciano Pavarotti (1972). The following year she played Mimì at the Teatro Regio in Parma with her contemporaries Jose Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli.
She sang at La Scala, Milan for fifteen consecutive years in leading roles alternating with opera companies and theatres in Italy and abroad such as the San Carlo in Naples, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Arena di Verona, the Communale in Bologna, ATER theatres in Emilia, the Paris Opera, Munich Opera, Zurich Opera, and the Salzburg Festival, interpreting a wide repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to Italian Opera Buffa, and the 19th operatic classics.
She is also interested in modern repertoire and has interpreted works by contemporary composers such as Hindemith and Maderna, and has been requested by Franco Mannino e Nino Rota for their operatic works.
She has been conducted by maestros such as Abbado, Arena, De Fabbrittiis, Gavazzeni, Molinari, Pradelli, Patanè Sonzogno and Votto and worked with directors like Wallman, Strehler, Bolognini, De Simone, Maestrini, Sbragia, and Villar.
In the theatre she has worked beside artists such as Bergonzi, Bumbry, Corelli, Caballé, Cossotto, Cappuccilli, Domingo, Di Stefano, Bruscantini, Labò and Panerai. In 1973 she toured the East with Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano, a photographic record of which can be found in the book "Callas by Callas" by Renzo Allegri (published by Mondadori, 1977).
She was the first Italian artist to hold recitals and perform in operas at the new Manila Cultural Center in the Philipines, and a new production of Butterfly was mounted in her honour (from 1973 to 1984).
She has performed in concerts for Radio BRT in Belgium, NHK in Japan and RAI in Italy. She conceived and presented the television series "Lirica in Salotto" ("opera in the livingroom") and "Lirica oggi" (opera today) transmitted by Italian Radio (1990).
She has held masterclasses on technique and interpretation of Italian opera in China at the Peking Opera, and in Shangai (1992) and more often in Japan at the University of Fine Art of Nagoja, at "Fuchu-no-mori Theatre" in Tokyo (1998) and at Theatro Hatagaia-Aspia in Tokyo (2003). She conceived and directs the international seminars "Vacanze in Lirica" for Riccione council, which is now in its 8th year.
From 1989 to 1996 she was a member of the Administrative Council at la Scala, Milan. In recognition of her artistry in the course of her career, and for the teaching work that she still carries out she was awarded the honour of Grand Officer of the Order "the Merit of the Republic of Italy".
After 29 years' living in Milan she has returned to her native city of Forlì where she was given the golden medal "Dmenga a ca' nosta", and recently was given the golden medal and diploma of merit "Faithfulness to work" by the House of Commerce of Forli and Cesena.(March 2001).
She currently performs in concerts and teaches singing at the Martini Conservatoire in Bologna.
Festival edition: September 2004.