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Virginia ZeaniRomanian opera singer-soprano
Date of Birth: 21.10.1925
Country:  Romania |
Content:
Biography of Virginia Zeani
Early Life and EducationVirginia Zeani, a Romanian opera soprano, was born on October 21, 1925, in Solovăstru, Romania. She studied literature and philosophy at the University of Bucharest while also receiving vocal training from Lucia Anghel. Later, she studied under the renowned Russian soprano Lydia Lipkowska and the great dramatic tenor Aureliano Pertile in Italy.
Operatic Career
In 1948, Zeani made her debut at the Teatro Duse in Bologna, Italy, as Violetta in "La traviata." Her performance was met with great success, and she soon received offers for over 30 performances. Throughout her career, Zeani performed the role of Violetta 648 times worldwide, becoming one of her signature roles.
Zeani's early career focused on Italy, where she performed in regional theaters and often took on leading roles. In 1950, she was invited to perform in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, singing the roles of Violetta, Nedda, Michaela, and Adina alongside the renowned Italian tenor Beniamino Gigli.
In 1952, Zeani replaced Maria Callas as Elvira in "I puritani" at the Teatro Comunale in Florence, marking a significant step forward in her career. Soon, she began receiving invitations to perform in major European opera houses. She debuted as Violetta in Vienna and Paris and made her La Scala debut in 1956 as Cleopatra in Handel's "Giulio Cesare" alongside bass Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, whom she later married.
Zeani's international career included performances in Barcelona, Leningrad, Moscow, Philadelphia, Bucharest, and other opera centers. In 1966, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Over the course of her career, Zeani sang a wide range of roles, including Lucia in "Lucia di Lammermoor," Gilda in "Rigoletto," Elvira in "I puritani," Manon in Massenet's "Manon," and Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust."
As her voice gained strength, Zeani transitioned to more dramatic roles, including Manon Lescaut in Puccini's opera, Cio-Cio-San in "Madama Butterfly," and Tosca. She also performed roles from the verismo repertoire, such as Fedora and Adriana Lecouvreur. Zeani excelled in Verdi's heroines, including Aida, Desdemona, Elisabetta, Alzira, and Lina in "Stiffelio." She also performed two Wagnerian roles, Elsa in "Lohengrin" and Senta in "The Flying Dutchman."
Later Life and Teaching Career
Zeani retired from the stage in 1983 and dedicated herself to teaching. In 1980, she and her husband began teaching at the music school of Indiana University in Bloomington. After her husband's death in 1991, Zeani moved to Florida, where she continued to work with talented young singers.
In recognition of her 30-year teaching career, Zeani was named "Teacher of the Year" by the magazine Classical Singer in 2010.
