Plácido & Cecilia

Gianluca Capuano has been principal conductor of Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco since 2019. He studied the organ, composition and conducting at the Conservatory in his hometown of Milan and went on to specialize in early music at the city’s Scuola Civica. He also studied theoretical philosophy at the University of Milan. He has appeared as a soloist and as a conductor throughout Europe, the United States, Russia and Japan. In 2006 he founded Il Canto di Orfeo, an instrumental and vocal ensemble with which he performs a wide-ranging Baroque repertoire, working with some of the finest musicians and singers active in the field of historically-informed performance practice. Gianluca Capuano came to international attention in August 2016, when he stepped in at short notice to conduct Norma with Cecilia Bartoli on the opening night of the Edinburgh Festival. Bartoli then invited him to conduct further performances of Norma at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and in Baden-Baden as well as a European tour of La Cenerentola with Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco. He has also conducted Ariodante and Il turco in Italia in Monte Carlo, Orfeo ed Euridice for the Rome Opera, Il matrimonio segreto for the Dutch National Opera, Guillaume Tell at the Chorégies d’Orange, Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, L’elisir d’amore at the Teatro Real in Madrid, La Cenerentola and Iphigénie en Tauride in Zurich. Gianluca Capuano made his Salzburg debut at the 2017 Whitsun Festival, conducting Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco in Ariodante and a concert performance of La donna del lago, following this up in 2018 with a recital of arias associated with the legendary tenor Manuel García and sung by Javier Camarena. Highlights from this programme were released on CD. His second CD for Decca, an album devoted to the legendary Pauline Viardot showcasing mezzosoprano Varduhi Abrahamyan and Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco was released april, 2021. Plans include: L’italiana in Algeri at the Zurich Opernhaus; Il turco in Italia and Die Zauberflöte in Munich; L’eisir d’amore in Hamburg; Il barbiere di Siviglia and a gala concert at the Salzburg Festival; La Cenerentola in Martigny, Zurich and Vienna; Il turco in Italia, L’elisir d’amore, Don Pasquale, Il barbiere di Siviglia and a gala concert in Vienna; Alceste in Rome.

Singer and conductor, tenor and baritone, Plácido Domingo is a multi-faceted artist, with more than one hundred and fifty roles to his credit, acclaimed by audiences around the world. He has been named a "Renaissance Man" by the critics, and has been awarded numerous honorary titles and prestigious international prizes, notably for his humanitarian commitment. He has launched the careers of many young talents and founded the Operalia singing competition. In 2021, he was named Honorary Ambassador of Spanish Culture in the World and, throughout his career, he has brought the zarzuela repertoire to the forefront of international stages, faithful to the legacy of his mother, the soprano Pepita Embil. An extraordinarily eclectic man, he has been artistic and general director and has worked to bring the world of opera to the attention of the greatest number of people, notably with Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras during the mythical The Three Tenors concerts. He has performed the world premieres of several operas such as Menotti's Goya, Catán's Il postino and García Abril's Las divinas Palabras. A pioneer of cross-over and winner of twelve Grammy Awards, he has starred in opera films directed by Franco Zeffirelli, Francesco Rosi, Gianfranco De Bosio and in operas (Tosca and Rigoletto) broadcast live on television to millions of people and filmed at the actual locations of the action and at the times indicated in the libretto. In addition to singing, he works as a conductor with more than five hundred opera performances and symphony concerts. In recent years, he has devoted himself to interpreting the great baritone roles in Verdi's operas: Simon Boccanegra, I due Foscari, La traviata, Nabucco, Il trovatore, Giovanna d'Arco, Macbeth, Ernani, Don Carlo, Luisa Miller, as well as Massenet's Thaïs and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. In the summer of 2020, fully recovered from Covid, he received the Österreichischer Musiktheaterpreis Lifetime Achievement Award in Salzburg and resumed his engagements, starting with an exciting concert at the Reggia di Caserta, then again in his beloved Arena di Verona for two gala evenings and then on stage, first in Simon Boccanegra at the Vienna Staatsoper and then in Nabucco at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. In December 2020, he participated for the 9th time in the opening of the Teatro alla Scala's season, a gala broadcast worldwide via streaming. His extraordinary artistic career has continued without interruption for more than half a century. The anniversary was celebrated at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Vienna Staatsoper, the Arena in Verona, Teatro alla Scala in Milan and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in unforgettable evenings in his honour. In January 2021, he celebrated his 80th birthday by singing Nabucco, broadcast by ORF. He returned to the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid in June 2021, and in July 2022 he was greeted by a standing ovation at the Teatro Real in Madrid, his home town. Recently, he performed in a moving concert in Palm Beach, Florida, where he returned to meet North American audiences and participated in two triumphant evenings dedicated to the zarzuela genre in Paris and Graz.

With an ongoing and magnificent performing career of more than 30 years, mezzosoprano Cecilia Bartoli has established herself as one of the world’s leading classical music artists. Her work on stage is empowered by a fiery passion for the uncovering of rare music and a profound interest into historically informed performance. Her large-scale projects encompassing various art forms brought her worldwide recognition and prestigious management positions in Salzburg and Monte Carlo. Today, Cecilia may proudly claim to have written music history, and to have become a role model for future generations. All of Cecilia’s projects are characterised by the basic features of her personality: musicality, intellect and theatricality, combined with great warmth, charisma and feeling. Born in Rome and educated by her mother, singing teacher Silvana Bazzoni, Cecilia was discovered by Daniel Barenboim, Herbert von Karajan and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, each of whom should leave his imprint on her quickly emerging worldwide career. Over the years, she was to perform with leading orchestras and conductors at all major opera houses, concert venues and festivals throughout North America, Europe, the Far East and Australia. Innovative projects dedicated to neglected music, which combine extensive concert tours, best-selling recordings, spectacular stage productions, inventive films and multimedia events have become a trademark of Cecilia’s work. Since 2012, she has served as artistic director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival, and in 2023 she assumes the position of director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, as the first woman in the history of this opera house. Also in Monte-Carlo, her period instrument orchestra, Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco, was founded in 2016 with the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II and HRH Caroline the Princess of Hanover. Together, Cecilia and this ensemble perform at their homebase in Monte Carlo and throughout Europe. Cecilia sings a repertoire built on Rossini, Mozart, Handel, and their times. However, her meticulous research into the vocality and roles performed by famous singers such as Farinelli, Maria Malibran or Giuditta Pasta encouraged her to venture into areas which had so far not been considered for mezzo-sopranos. Milestones in her career include the first-ever production of Rossini’s Cenerentola at the MET in New York in 1997, the legendary Vivaldi-Album, sold millions of times since 1999, the Paris concert marathon on the day of Maria Malibran’s 200th birthday in 2008, her iconoclastic approach to Bellini’s Norma in 2013 as part of a comprehensive project which included the score’s scientific reconstruction based on the composer’s manuscripts, a deliriously received week of Rossini operas at the Vienna State Opera in 2022. The Cecilia Bartoli – Music Foundation was founded as part of Cecilia’s philantropic work and aims at bringing classical music to a wider audience and at collaborating with talented young musicians. Among others, it created a new record label, mentored by Bartoli, in collaboration with Decca. Talented musicians such as Javier Camarena or Varduhi Abrahamyan were enabled to record their first studio albums thanks to this venture. Honorary Doctorates, five Grammys, more than a dozen Echos and Brit Awards, the Polar Music Prize, the Léonie-Sonning-Music Prize, the Herbert von Karajan Prize and many other recognitions underline Cecilia Bartoli’s significant role in the world of culture and music. As a consequence, Cecilia was appointed President of Europa Nostra – the European Voice of Civil Society Committed to Cultural and Natural Heritage. She took up this position for an initial mandate of five years in 2022.

Rebeca Olvera studied at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Mexico City. Since winning the audience prize at the International Hans-Gabor Belvedere Competition in Vienna, she has been a member of the ensemble of Zurich Opera. She has performed at the Komische Oper Berlin, Wiener Konzerthaus, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra, Salzburger Festspiele, Monte Carlo Opera, Edinburgh Festival, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, Tonhalle in Zurich, Det Kongelige Teater in Copenhagen, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich and National Concert Hall in Dublin. She has given concert performances with José Carreras in Mexico, Argentina, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Cyprus, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany. Operatic roles include Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Norina (Don Pasquale), Berenice (L’occasione fa il ladro), Giulia (La scala di seta), Rosina in Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Madame Herz (Der Schauspieldirektor), Despina (Così fan tutte), Dorinda in Händel’s Orlando, Mi (Das Land des Lächelns), Contessa di Folleville (Il viaggio a Reims), Isolier (Le Comte Ory) and Adalgisa (Norma). Engagements in 2021-22 included Despina and Isolier for Zurich Opera, Elvira (L’italiana in Algeri) at the Salzburg Festival and Clorinda (La Cenerentola) for the Monte Carlo Opera on tour to Martigny and the Wiener Staatsoper. Highlights of Rebeca’s 2022-23 season include Stimme des Waldvogels (Siegfried) and Clorinda for Zurich Opera, Adina for Staatsoper Stuttgart.

Ildar Abdrazakov has firmly established himself as one of opera’s most sought-after basses and one of his generation’s most celebrated and recognized artists. Since making his debut at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 2001 at the age of 25, the Russian bass has become a mainstay at leading houses worldwide, including the New York Metropolitan Opera, Paris National Opera, the Vienna State Opera and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. His powerful yet refined voice, coupled with his compelling stage presence, have prompted critics to hail him as a “sensational bass … who has just about everything – imposing sound, beautiful legato, oodles of finesse” (The Independent). Being also an active concert artist, he has performed at London’s BBC Proms and at New York’s Carnegie Hall, as well as with leading international orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic. In the 2022-23 season, Ildar Abdrazakov returns to the Bayerische Staatsoper as Filippo II (Don Carlo) and Boris Godunov, a signature role he also performs at the prestigious season opening at the Teatro alla Scala (and which he portrayed at Monte Carlo Opera). He also appears as Méphistophélès (La Damnation de Faust) at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. On the concert stage, the famous bass gives a solo recital at the Hungarian State Opera. Abdrazakov was born in Ufa, the present day capital of the Republic of Bashkiria in Russia.

Winner of the 2016 Abbiati Prize, Nicola Alaimo is one of the most appreciated performers on the international music scene, applauded at prestigious theatres and festivals all over the world: Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, Teatro Regio in Turin, Arena di Verona, San Carlo in Naples, Salzburg Festival, La Monnaie in Brussels, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Paris Opera, Rome Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, Teatro Real in Madrid, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opernhaus Zurich and at the Rossini Opera Festival, becoming one of its leading performers. Very successful was his performance in Guillaume Tell (title role), which he performed in the theatres of Paris, Monte Carlo, Amsterdam, Chorégies d’Orange, Munich and Brussels. Mr. Alaimo collaborated and collaborates with maestros such as Maurizio Benini, Bruno Campanella, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Daniele Gatti, James Levine, Michele Mariotti, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Evelino Pidò, Jean-Christophe Spinosi. Recently engaged in a fortunate Cenerentola, Turco in Italia and a Rossini Gala tour alongside Cecilia Bartoli directed by Gianluca Capuano and as Falstaff for the opening night at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, he sung Il trovatore at Monte Carlo Opera. Mr. Alaimo plans include: Falstaff in Tokyo; La forza del destino in Paris; L’italiana in Algeri, La Cenerentola in Zurich; Nabucco, Roberto Devereux in Geneva; Simon Boccanegra in Florence; L’esule di Roma at the Barbican Theatre in London;  I due Foscari in Chicago; La Cenerentola and Adriana Lecouvreur in Toulouse; Guillaume Tell in Liège.

Born in Turin, Alessandro Corbelli studied singing with Giuseppe Valdengo and then with Claude Thiolas. Since his debut at the early age of 22, he has become an outstanding exponent of the bel canto and Mozart roles for baritone. He has sung in all the major opera houses: La Scala since 1989 in Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, La Cenerentola, Le Comte Ory, Lodoiska, Fedora; Covent Garden in L’italiana in Algeri, La Cenerentola, Così fan tutte, Don Pasquale, Il turco in Italia, La Fille du régiment, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Adriana Lecouvreur; Paris Opera in La Cenerentola, L’italiana in Algeri, Così fan tutte, Madama Butterfly, Gianni Schicchi and La Fille du régiment; Vienna Staatsoper in Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, I puritani and La Cenerentola. Since his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1997, as Dandini in La Cenerentola, he has returned regularly for L’italiana in Algeri, L’elisir d’amore, Gianni Schicchi and La Cenerentola (Don Magnifico). He has also sung in Munich, Cologne, Geneva, Madrid, Barcelona, Toulouse, Rome, Naples, Bologna, Florence, and Turin, as well as at such important festivals as Edinburgh, Glyndebourne, Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg and the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. Recent engagements include Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at the 2022 Salzburg Festival, as well a new critical edition of Donizetti’s L’ajo nell’imbarazzo at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo and the title role in Don Pasquale in Barcelona.

Edgardo Rocha was born in Rivera, Uruguay. He studied piano, choral and orchestra conducting and singing in Montevideo and then in Italy. He made his debut in 2010 at the Martina Franca Festival in the title role of Donizetti’s Gianni di Parigi. He has established an impressive reputation in the Rossini repertoire: La Cenerentola in Vienna, Stuttgart, Seville, Lausanne, Monte Carlo, Munich, and in films, Il barbiere di Siviglia in Vienna, Valencia, Madrid, Naples, Lausanne, Munich, Dresden, Zurich, Paris-Bastille, Tel Aviv, Hamburg, Verona, Rome, Lugano, L’italiana in Algeri in Vienna and Barcelona, La scala di seta, Otello (Jago), Il viaggio a Reims (Belfiore), Le Comte Ory and Il turco in Italia in Zurich, La gazzetta in Liège, Il turco in Italia in Turin, Otello (Rodrigo) at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysée (Paris), Otello (Iago), La gazza ladra and Il turco in Italia at La Scala in Milan, Otello (Rodrigo), La donna del lago, L’italiana in Algeri and Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Salzburg Festival, Il viaggio a Reims (Libenskof) in Dresden. He also performed in Don Pasquale in Florence and Verona, Così fan tutte in Naples and Turin, Les Pêcheurs de perles in Nancy, I puritani in Stuttgart, La Juive (Léopold) in Munich, Der Rosenkavalier in Dresden, Anna Bolena (version for Rubini) in Lausanne and Geneva, Maria Stuarda in Geneva, La sonnambula in Nice and Düsseldorf, the satellite broadcast of Andrea Andermann’s film Una favola in diretta at the RAI, followed by a European tour alongside Cecilia Bartoli. He is also very active as a concert performer and has made many recordings.