Soprano
World
Maria Teresa Leva was born and trained in her hometown of Reggio Calabria, before going on to study under Donata d’Annunzio Lombardi, who remains her mentor. From her very first productions, she made her mark on the Italian opera scene thanks to her talent, immediately taking on leading roles: Micaela in Carmen at the Opera Carlo Felice, conducted by Andrea Battistoni and directed by David Livermore, and Mimì in La bohème at the OperaLombardia and Emilia Romagna theatres, conducted by Giampaolo Bisanti and directed by Leo Muscato.
Endowed with “a bright, resonant and full-bodied high register, as well as remarkable breath control, as demonstrated by crystalline filat and the pianissimi sustained with ease” (Stefano Balbiani), She has made a name for herself in Italy and abroad as a lyric and lyric-spinto soprano, with a particular affinity for the repertoire of Verdi and Puccini. Her repertoire include: Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (OperaLombardia), Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly (Gran Teatre del Liceu di Barcellona, Palau de les Arts di Valencia, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma), Leonora in Il trovatore (Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari), Violetta ne La traviata (Opéra Royal de Wallonie de Liège, Opera Carlo Felice di Genova), Amelia in Un ballo in maschera (Deutsche Oper Berlin, Festival Verdi in Parma and Teatro Comunale di Bologna), Mimì in La bohème (Semperoper Dresden, Liceu di Barcellona e Teatro Regio di Torino), Liù in Turandot (Arena di Verona, Sydney Opera House), Micaela in Carmen (Arena di Verona, OperaLombardia), Magda in La Rondine (Opera Carlo Felice), Anna in Le Villi (Maggio Musicale Fiorentino), Adriana Lecouvreur (Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro Comunale di Modena, Teatro Municipale di Piacenza), Margherita/Elena in Mefistofele (Suntory Hall Tokyo, Teatro La Fenice di Venezia), Manon Lescaut (Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Regio di Torino), Aida (NCPA di Pechino, Opera Hong Kong), Tosca (Teatro Comunale di Modena), Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana (in concert with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv), Maddalena in Andrea Chenier (Teatro Verdi di Pisa, OperaLombardia, Lucca, Rovigo), Desdemona in Otello (Liège).
In the symphonic repertoire, she has sung Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano and Liszt’s Christus with Orquesta Sinfónica RTVE in Madrid.
LATEST PERFORMANCES: Otello at Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège; Aida at NCPA Beijing; Turandot (at Opera Australia in Sydney; Tosca (title role debut) in Modena and in Ferrara; Aida at Hong Kong Opera; Un ballo in maschera at Teatro Comunale di Bologna; Cavalleria rusticana in concert with Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; Andrea Chenier in Rovigo.
FORTHCOMING PROJECTS: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at Teatro Regio di Torino under the baton of Andrea Battistoni; Cavalleria Rusticana in Ancona; La bohème in Sydney and at Teatro alla Scala in Milan; Madama Butterfly at Teatro Comunale di Bologna; Tosca at Teatro Massimo di Palermo; Turandot at Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège; Mefistofele and Madama Butterfly in Milan; Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at MUPA Budapest.
