Barbara Frittoli
Barbara Frittoli (born 19 April 1967) is an Italian operatic soprano, specializing in operas by Verdi and Mozart. She has sung leading roles in opera houses throughout Europe and in the United States, such as La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Her signature roles include Mimì in La bohème, the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Desdemona in Otello.
Barbara Frittoli

Italyeverywhere · CC BY 4.0
- Name
- Barbara Frittoli
- Born
- 19 April 1967
- Birthplace
- Milan, Italy
- Education
- Milan Conservatory
- Occupation
- Operatic soprano
- Nationality
- Italy.
- Fields
- opera.
- Honours
- Echo Klassik – Female Singer of the Year and Österreichischer Kammersänger.
- Languages
- Italian.
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Documentary summary
Barbara Frittoli (born 19 April 1967) is an Italian operatic soprano, specializing in operas by Verdi and Mozart. She has sung leading roles in opera houses throughout Europe and in the United States, such as La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Her signature roles include Mimì in La bohème, the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Desdemona in Otello.
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Barbara Frittoli (born 1967) is a musician and opera singer, of Italian nationality. The musician was born in Milan.
Barbara Frittoli was educated at Milan Conservatory. Activity centred on opera.
The work spans opera. Languages used include Italian. Honours include Echo Klassik – Female Singer of the Year and Österreichischer Kammersänger.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 28 September 2026
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In this article
Biography
Biography
Frittoli worked across opera singer and musician. The registers place that work in opera. This article rests on 100 catalogued compositions, 10 issued recordings and 1 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.
Barbara Frittoli studied at Milan Conservatory. The recorded working language is Italian. The field of work recorded is opera. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera. Distinctions recorded are Echo Klassik – Female Singer of the Year and Österreichischer Kammersänger.

Stefano Vignati Barbara Frittoli for the Christmas live broadcasted Concert in St. Petersburg at the Festival Palace
Italyeverywhere
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Barbara Frittoli • Born — 19 April 1967 • Birthplace — Milan, Italy • Education — Milan Conservatory • Occupation — Operatic soprano • Years Active — 1990–present • Title — Kammersängerin
Life
Life
Frittoli was born in Milan. At the age of 9, she started piano studies at the Milan Conservatory, intending to become a pianist. When she was singing in the Conservatory choir at 12 years old, she was noticed by Giulio Bertola and Bruno Casoni. Under their recommendation, she switched to singing, in alto, which resulted in vocal troubles. She only recovered her voice after studying with Giovanna Canetti, under whose instruction she developed into a soprano. She made her professional debut in 1990 as Ines in Il trovatore conducted by Zubin Mehta with Luciano Pavarotti as the main role at the Teatro Comunale, Florence. In 1992, she debuted in the U.S. at the Opera Company of Philadelphia as Micaëla in Carmen. Three years later, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1995 as Micaëla in Carmen and has gone on to sing in over 80 performances there including Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Angelica in Suor Angelica, Desdemona in Otello, the title role in Luisa Miller, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Vitellia in La clemenza di Tito, and Alicia Ford in Falstaff. She performed in two editions of Glyndebourne Festival Opera, in Graham Vick's new productions of Così fan tutte (Fiordiligi, 1998) and Don Giovanni (Donna Anna, 2000). In June 1998, she was featured in the role of Liù in Turandot at the Forbidden City, an outdoor production of the Puccini opera. In December 1999, she sang Alice Ford in Vick's new Falstaff, which opened the first season after Royal Opera House's refurbishment. In December 2004, she added Elisabetta di Valois in Don Carlo to her repertoire, alternating the role with Adrianne Pieczonka at the Teatro Comunale, Florence. In December 2008, she starred in a new production of Massenet's Thaïs, inaugurating Teatro Regio di Torino's new season. In 2012, she debuted in the title role in Adriana Lecouvreur at the Liceu.
Personal life
Personal life
Frittoli was married to baritone Natale de Carolis, with whom she had a daughter, Arianna. She had been in a relationship with Ildar Abdrazakov.
Opera roles
Opera roles
• Ines, Il trovatore (Verdi) • Mimì, La bohème (Puccini) • Delia / Modestina, Il viaggio a Reims (Rossini) • Micaëla, Carmen (Bizet) • Agnese, Beatrice di Tenda (Bellini) • Berta, The Barber of Seville (Rossini) • Flaminio, Il Flaminio (Pergolesi) • Countess Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart) • Antonia, The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach) • Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni (Mozart) • Desdemona, Otello (Verdi) • Sifare, Mitridate, re di Ponto (Mozart) • Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte (Mozart) • Medora, Il corsaro (Verdi) • Liù, Turandot (Puccini) • Amelia, Simon Boccanegra (Verdi) • Alice Ford, Falstaff (Verdi) • Marguerite, Faust (Gounod) • Nedda, Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) • Donna Anna, Don Giovanni (Mozart) • Leonora, Il trovatore (Verdi) • Elettra, Idomeneo (Mozart) • Luisa, Luisa Miller (Verdi) • Maria Stuarda, Maria Stuarda (Donizetti) • Vitellia, La clemenza di Tito (Mozart) • Anaï, Moïse et Pharaon (Rossini) • Elisabetta di Valois, Don Carlos (Verdi) • Sister Angelica, Suor Angelica (Puccini) • Thaïs, Thaïs (Massenet) • Floria Tosca, Tosca (Puccini) • Adriana, Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea)
Life and work
Life and work
Barbara Frittoli was born on 19 April 1967 in Milan. Frittoli held the nationality of Italy. Frittoli was educated at Milan Conservatory. Frittoli worked as opera singer and musician. The fields Frittoli worked in include opera. Frittoli played the voice. Frittoli worked in Italian.
Catalogued output
Compositions
The entries below are works composed by the subject, as the institutional registers catalogue them; later performances and commercial recordings of the same music are listed separately. 77 further compositions are catalogued under Frittoli's name without a date the collections agree on, which is why they are set apart from the dated run rather than placed in it. A selection is set out below and the complete run may be opened beneath it. Simon Boccanegra — 6 catalogued parts. Il trovatore — 8 catalogued parts. La traviata — 5 catalogued parts. Il tabarro — 6 catalogued parts. “Siam giunti; ecco la torre” … “Vanne, lasciami” (Ruiz, Leonora). Salve Regina in A minor — 3 catalogued parts. “Di quella pira l’orrendo foco” (Manrico, Leonora, Ruiz, armed men).
The entries follow MusicBrainz
Atto I. “Cammina adagio” (Tonio, Nedda, Canio, Silvio)
Atto II. “All'armi, all'armi, o Liguri!” (Coro, Amelia, Gabriele)
“Ai miei cugini Zita e Simone” (La Vecchia, Simone, La Ciesca, Nella, Rinuccio, Gherardo, Marco, Betto)
Atto I, scena 1
“Vieni a mirar la cerula marina tremolante” (Amelia, Gabriele)
“Datemi il testamento!” (Schicchi, Lauretta, Rinuccio, La Vecchia, La Ciesca, Nella, Gherardo, Marco, Simone, Betto)
Atto II, Nº 7c
Aria "Tu puniscimi, o Signore" (Luisa)
Il trovatore: Atto III, scena 2
“L'onda de' suoni mistici pura discenda al cor!… Manrico? … Che” (Leonora, Manrico, Ruiz)
Il trovatore: Atto II, scena 2
The complete catalogue · 60
The entries follow MusicBrainz
Atto I. “Cammina adagio” (Tonio, Nedda, Canio, Silvio)
Atto II. “All'armi, all'armi, o Liguri!” (Coro, Amelia, Gabriele)
“Ai miei cugini Zita e Simone” (La Vecchia, Simone, La Ciesca, Nella, Rinuccio, Gherardo, Marco, Betto)
Atto I, scena 1
“Vieni a mirar la cerula marina tremolante” (Amelia, Gabriele)
“Datemi il testamento!” (Schicchi, Lauretta, Rinuccio, La Vecchia, La Ciesca, Nella, Gherardo, Marco, Simone, Betto)
Atto II, Nº 7c
Aria "Tu puniscimi, o Signore" (Luisa)
Il trovatore: Atto III, scena 2
“L'onda de' suoni mistici pura discenda al cor!… Manrico? … Che” (Leonora, Manrico, Ruiz)
Il trovatore: Atto II, scena 2
“E deggio, e posso crederlo?” (Leonora, Conte Luna, Manrico, Ines, Ferrando, Ruiz, nuns, soldiers)
Il trovatore: Atto I, scena 2
“Non m'inganno… Infida!
Qual voce!” (Conte Luna, Leonora, Manrico)
Atto I. “E fra quest' ansie
Decidi il mio destin” (Silvio, Nedda)
Atto II. Presto, affrettiamoci” (Coro, Tonio, Silvio, Nedda)
“Ecco il notaro” (Rinuccio, Il Notaio, Pinellino, Guccio, Schicchi, La vecchia, La Ciesca, Nella, Simone, Marco, Betto, Gherardo)
“Quale d'armi fragor poc' anzi intesi?” (Leonora, Manrico)
Atto II. Colombina, il tenero” (Arlecchino)
Atto I. “Derisione e scherno!” (Tonio, Nedda, Canio, Beppe)
Il tabarro: “Ho sognato una casetta” … “È ben altro il mio sogno!” (Giorgetta, la Frugola, Luigi)
“Di geloso amor sprezzato” (Conte Luna, Leonora, Manrico)
“Povero Buoso!” (La Vecchia, La Ciesca, Nella, Rinuccio, Gherardo, Marco, Simone, Betto)
Atto IV. N°15 “Tu che le vanità” – “O Francia, nobile suol” (Elisabetta)
Ladro!” (La Vecchia, La Ciesca, Nella, Gherardo, Marco, Simone, Betto, Schicchi)
Il corsaro: Atto I, Scena 4
“Egli non riede ancora!” (Medora)
Le nozze di Figaro, K. 20) Aria “Dove sono i bei momenti” (La Contessa)
Il trovatore: Atto IV, scena 1
“Ecco la cappellina!” (La Vecchia, Schicchi, Simone, Betto, Nella, La Ciesca, Gherardo)
Il trovatore: Atto IV, scena 2
"Parlar non vuoi?"
"Ha quest'infame l'amor venduto" (Manrico, Leonora)
“Vivrà, contende il giubilo” (Leonora, Conte Luna)
“Prima che d'altri vivere” (Manrico, Leonora, Azucena, Conte Luna)
Atto II. “Arlecchin!” - “Colombina!” (Colombina, Arlecchino, Taddeo, Pagliaccio)
Atto II. “Suvvia, così terribile” (Nedda, Canio, Beppe, Tonio, Silvio, Coro)
“E non c'è nessun mezzo …” (La Vecchia, La Ciesca, Nella, Simone, Betto, Marco, Gherardo, Rinuccio)
“Mira, d'acerbe lagrime“ (Leonora, Conte Luna)
“Nessuno sa che Buoso ha reso il fiato?” (Schicchi, La Vecchia, La Ciesca, Nella, Rinuccio, Gherardo, Marco, Simone, Betto, Spinellocchio)
Atto II. “Di fare il segno convenuto” … “È dessa!
Dei, come è bella” (Colombina, Taddeo, Arlecchino)
Così fan tutte: Atto I. Sortite fuori di questo loco!” (Fiordiligi)
Atto I, scena 2
Popolo!” (Simon, Amelia, Pietro, Paolo, Gabriele, Fiesco, coro)
Atto II. “Versa il filtro ne la tazza sua!” … “Coraggio!
Un uomo era con te” (Pagliaccio, Colombina, Taddeo, Arlecchino)
Il viaggio a Reims: “Partire io pur vorrei” (Madame Cortese, Contessa, Modestina)
Idomeneo, rè di Creta, K. 29 Recitativo "O ciel pietoso!" (Idomeneo, Idamante, Ilia, Arbace, Elettra)
Non m’inganna quel fioco lume?” (Manrico, Leonora, Azucena, Conte Luna)
Il viaggio a Reims: “Viva il diletto augusto regnator” (Cavaliere, tutti)
Atto I. “Stridono lassù” (Nedda)
Così fan tutte: Atto II. 25 Rondò “Per pietà, ben mio, perdona” (Fiordiligi)
“Ferisci!” … “Nell'ora soave che all'estasi invita” (Amelia, coro)
Atto I. “Qual fiamma avea nel guardo!” (Nedda)
“Ah! Se l'error t'ingombra” (nuns, Conte Luna, Ferrando, retainers)
“Non so le tetre immagini” (Medora)
A further 29 recorded entries stand behind this article and are held on the record.
Recordings
Recordings
Full works on CD • Rossini: The Barber of Seville (1993). Jesús López-Cobos, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Chœur du Grand Théâtre de Genève (Teldec) • Turandot at the Forbidden City of Beijing (1998). Zubin Mehta, Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Comunale, Florence (RCA Victor) • Puccini: La bohème (2000). Zubin Mehta, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (Decca) • Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (2000). Riccardo Chailly, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir (Decca) • Verdi: Il trovatore (2001). Riccardo Muti, La Scala Orchestra & Chorus (Sony) • Mozart: Idomeneo (2002). Charles Mackerras, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Edinburgh Festival Chorus (EMI) • Stabat Mater (Rossini) (2003); Riccardo Chailly, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir (Decca) • Requiem (Verdi) (2010). Riccardo Muti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO Resound; Recorded live in Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center, 15/16/17 January 2009) • Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (2015). Constantine Orbelian, Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra, Kaunas State Choir (Delos) Full works on video • Rossini: Il viaggio a Reims (1992). Claudio Abbado, Berliner Philharmoniker, Rundfunkchor Berlin • Mozart: Cosi fan tutte (1996). Vienna State Opera (Euroarts, released in 2008) • Turandot at the Forbidden City (1998). (RCA Victor) • Verdi: Falstaff (1999). Royal Opera, London (Opus Arte) • Stabat Mater (Pergolesi) (2000). (Musicom, recorded in Santuario della Beata Vergine dei Miracoli, Saronno) • Verdi: Otello (2001). La Scala (TDK, released in 2003) • Rossini: Moïse et Pharaon (2003). La Scala (TDK, released in 2005) • Puccini: Turandot (2005). Liceu (Arthaus Musik, released in 2012) • Verdi: Falstaff (2006). Teatro Comunale, Florence (Arthaus Musik, released in 2013) • Puccini: Suor Angelica from Il trittico (2008). La Scala (Hardy Classic, released in 2009) • Massenet: Thaïs (2008). Teatro Regio (Turin) (Arthaus Musik, released in 2009) • Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro (2009). Teatro Real (released in 2011) • Bizet: Carmen (2010). Metropolitan Opera (Deutsche Grammophon, released in 2010) • Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro (2010). Paris Opera (Bel Air Classiques, released in 2012) • Verdi: Falstaff (2011). Zürich Opera House (C Major Entertainment, released in 2012) • Mozart: Don Giovanni (2011). Metropolitan Opera (Met Opera on Demand) • Mozart: Don Giovanni (2011). La Scala (Deutsche Grammophon, released in 2015) • Mozart: La clemenza di Tito (2012). Metropolitan Opera (Met Opera on Demand) Recitals and others • 2001: Barbara Frittoli Sings Mozart Arias; Charles Mackerras, Scottish Chamber Orchestra (Erato) • 2001: Verdi Arias; Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra (Erato) • 2001: Gran Gala di Verdi [DVD] (EuroArts, released in 2007)
Recordings and discography
Primary material
Recordings and discography
The discography assembled here shows how Frittoli's work has been published in sound, not what Frittoli made. 10 sound issues are catalogued, carrying dates from 1996 to 2015. An issue is a published recording, distinct from the composition it carries, from a printed score of that composition and from any single performance of it; none of the entries below is counted in the catalogue of compositions above, and several of them carry the same work in different readings. The 2000s are the densest decade of publication, with 7 issues. The performers and issuing labels are as the discographic register states them; where it names no performer the article names none.
BBC Music, Volume 17, Number 8: Il tabarro
2009
Simon Boccanegra
2015
Stabat Mater
2003
La bohème
2000
Il trovatore
2002
Mozart
2001
Pagliacci
2000
Idomeneo
2002
Sings Tosti - La Mia Canzone
1996
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Barbara Frittoli”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q448972: Barbara Frittoli
General reference · Wikidata
Awards
Awards
Frittoli won the Female Singer of the Year (Sängerin des Jahres) in the 2001 Echo Klassik. In 2012, she was invested as Austrian Kammersängerin.
Honours and awards
Where the work is held
Honours and awards
2 honours stand against the name. Österreichischer Kammersänger
Echo Klassik – Female Singer of the Year
2001
Authority records
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Gurewitsch, Matthew. A Soprano Finds Truth And Poetry in Verdi. The Wall Street Journal. 18 March 2003.
- 2.Cummings (2003) pg. 258
- 3.Paolucci (March 2005)
- 4.Barbara Frittoli. OperaClick. 19 February 2006.
- 5.McLellan, Joseph. Opera. The Washington Post. 13 November 1992.
- 6.Barbara Frittoli - Person. Glyndebourne.
- 7.Eckholm, Erik. 'Turandot' to Be Staged in Beijing's Forbidden City. The New York Times. 10 July 1998.
- 8.Andrew Clement. Falstaff, Royal Opera House. The Guardian. 7 December 1999.
- 9.Torselli, Elisabetta. Don Carlo ricordando Visconti. Il giornale della musica. 6 December 2004.
- 10.Loomis, George. Thaïs, Teatro Regio, Turin. Financial Times. 29 December 2008.
- 11.Herrscher, Roberto. Adriana Lecouvreur. Opera News. 77. 2. August 2012.
- 12.Paloscia, Fulvio. 'L'Otello di Dodin? Non si sa cosa sia'. la Repubblica. 12 June 2003.
- 13.Steiman, Harvey. An Opera Star with a Taste for Powerful Wines. Wine Spectator. 1 October 2013.
- 14.ZDF. ZDF-Intendant Stolte erhält Klassik-Auszeichnung "Mediamann des Jahres" Preisträger "Echo Klassik 2001" bekannt gegeben. 28 June 2001.
- 15.Barbara Frittoli ist "Österreichische Kammersängerin". Der Standard. APA. 20 December 2012.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 5
- Peters, Brooks. Miss Italy: is Barbara Frittoli the Italian soprano audiences have been waiting for?. Opera News. 66. 11. May 2002.
- Cummings, David (ed.), "Frittoli, Barbara", International Who's Who in Classical Music, Routledge, 2003, p. 258.
- McHugh, Dominic, Interview: Barbara Frittoli on singing the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro at the ROH , Musical Criticism, 22 June 2008
- Metropolitan Opera, Performance Record: Frittoli, Barbara (Soprano), MetOpera Database
- Paolucci, Bridget, A chat with Barbara Frittoli: her Desdemona can break a heart, American Record Guide, March 2005
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
43,111 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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