Francesco Meli Italian opera tenor Country: Italy

Biography of Francesco Meli

Francesco Meli is an Italian opera tenor, particularly known for his performances in the bel canto repertoire. He was born in 1980 in Genoa and began studying vocal music at the age of 17 under the guidance of mezzo-soprano Norma Palacios at the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory in Genoa. Later, he became a student of mezzo-soprano Franca Mattiucci, a renowned vocal pedagogue with numerous distinguished students, and also studied under tenor Vittorio Terranova since 2002.

In 2002, Meli made his debut in Verdi's "Macbeth" and also performed the solo tenor part in Rossini's "Petite Messe Solennelle" and Puccini's "Messe" at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, which was broadcasted on Italian television. Subsequently, the young tenor performed leading roles on the stages of major Italian and international theaters, including La Scala, Teatro Regio in Turin, Covent Garden, Opéra National de Lyon, Opernhaus Zürich, Metropolitan Opera, and Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro.

Meli sang in Graham Vick's production of Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" in Lisbon, performed in operas such as "L'Elisir d'amore" and "La Sonnambula" in Bologna, and participated in productions of Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" and "L'Elisir d'amore" at the Circuito Lombardo di Musica Antica. He portrayed roles in "Lucia di Lammermoor" in Venice and "Così fan tutte" in Florence. At La Scala, he appeared in Francis Poulenc's "Dialogues des carmélites" conducted by Riccardo Muti and Verdi's "Otello". In Zurich, he performed in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia", and he appeared in Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona. Meli opened the season at La Scala in 2005 with Mozart's "Idomeneo" and achieved great success performing in "Don Giovanni" and "Falstaff" in Paris and various European theaters including La Scala.

Meli made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera with "Rigoletto". He has also given solo concerts in London, Tokyo, Oslo, and Poznań. Francesco Meli is married to soprano Serena Gamberoni, and they frequently perform together.

Meli's voice, full of passion with a beautiful timbre, natural brilliance, refined phrasing, and excellent diction, combines with his musical sensitivity, impeccable taste in repertoire selection, and convincing acting talent, making him one of the most promising tenors of his generation.