Damiana Mizzi

Biography

Italian soprano Damiana Mizzi began her musical training at the age of eight, studying piano. She went on to attend the Nino Rota Music Conservatory in Monopoli (Bari) earning her diploma under Maria Grazia Pani, and completed her studies with Amelia Felle and now with Mariella Devia.
In 2008 she obtained the Master Degree in Performance of the solistic repertoire at Nino Rota Music Conservatory.
She has participated in master classes with Natale De Carolis, Manuela Custer, Stefano Giannini, Domenico Colajanni, Alfonso Antoniozzi, Daniela Barcellona, Tiziana Fabbricini, and recently with Renata Scotto at the Opera Studio in the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia of Rome.

In 2013 she attended the Accademia Rossiniana in Pesaro with Alberto Zedda.

Finalist at Placido Domingo’s Operalia 2017, Damiana has won many International Lyric Contests, such as: “As.Li.Co.” in 2012 (First Prize), Viñas Competition in 2014 (Extraordinary Prize offered by the European Opera Centre reserved to a finalist), X edition of International “Ottavio Ziino” Competition (First Prize), XII edition of “Valerio Gentile” International Prize (First Prize).

She made her debut very young in 2004 in the role of Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia by G. Paisiello, and in 2005 she interpreted Valencienne in La Vedova Allegra by F. Lehàr.
In the following years, she interpreted many roles in Italy and other countries, like Despina in Così fan tutte by Mozart, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi by G. Puccini, the title role in The Cunning Little Vixen by L. Janáček, Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi by V. Bellini, Corinna in Il Viaggio a Reims by G. Rossini, Nannetta in Falstaff by G. Verdi, Musetta in La Bohème by G. Puccini, Elena in Il cappello di Paglia di Firenze by N. Rota, Elisetta in Il matrimonio segreto by D. Cimarosa, Sofia in La Furba e lo Sciocco by D. Sarro (first italian performance), Serpina in La serva padrona in the two musical versions by G. B. Pergolesi and G. Paisiello, Clorinda in La cenerentola and Elvira in L’Italiana in Algeri by G. Rossini, Oscar in Un ballo in maschera by G.Verdi.

In these years she have the possibility to work in many important theatres and Festivals, including Teatro dell’Opera of Rome, Accademia Nazionale of Santa Cecilia, Teatro La Fenice of Venice, Teatro Regio of Turin, Opera of Florence, Teatro Regio of Parma, Ravenna Festival, Stresa Festival, ROF, Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari, Reate Festival, theatres of Circuito Lirico Lombardo, Musikfest Bremen, Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Royal Opera House Muscat, Theater Lübeck, Bolshoi Theatre Moscow.

Damiana Mizzi is very active in the world of contemporary music, performing regularly many important composers such as M. D’Amico and F. Pennisi. Recently she premiered for the Accademia Filarmonica Romana the title role of Daniele Carnini’s La Stanza di Lena and received wide acclaim for her interpretation and last year she interpreted a role in Il Medico dei pazzi by Giorgio Battistelli. She collaborated with Nuova Consonanza Festival in Rome singing premieres of many composers.

She worked with important conductors, including Riccardo Muti, Kent Nagano, Donato Renzetti, Bruno Campanella, Fabio Biondi, Riccardo Frizza, Andrea Battistoni, Roland Böer, Daniel Smith, Marco Angius, Alejo Perez, Nicola Paszkowski, Luigi Piovano, Christian Capocaccia, Francesco Lanzillotta.

Damiana teaches at "Santa Cecilia” Conservatory of Rome and performs regularly with many chamber music groups; she is member of Hemisphaeria Trio.

Most recently, she appeared as Nannetta at Teatro Regio of Turin with Daniel Harding and she made her house debut at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow as Oscar in Un ballo in maschera and Musetta in La Bohème. Additionally, she appeared in concert on a sacred repertoire with Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante in Spain, and in chamber music concerts on contemporary repertoire.