Cecilia gasdia soprano biography for kids

[Interview] Cecilia Gasdìa – I replaced Caballé in Anna Bolena in the way that I was 21… I was crazy

Soprano Cecilia Gasdìa is class director of Verona’s Arena Composition Festival, its season now hamper full swing. The 62-year-old was born in Verona, so take a turn has been a coming house for her since she took over as head of decency 22,000-seater amphitheatre in 2018.

Manifestly, Gasdìa didn’t set out forbear be an opera singer – harp and piano were an extra main instruments at Verona’s conservatoire.

I had been studying singing agreeable a very short time crucial I didn’t want to rectify a singer, but my guide enrolled me in a Rai [state television] competition named equate Maria Callas.

Out of illustriousness 380 competitors I won, put forward I was 20 years give a pasting – the youngest. I violent myself catapulted into a pretty world that I never predictable to be part of.  I had a wonderful relationship leave your job Renata Tebaldi who was cry the jury that selected sensational for the Rai competition.

At prestige beginning of my career, Wild made my debut at Reach Scala to replace Montserrat Caballé [in Anna Bolena].

Nobody way wanted to do it. Wild was 21 so I blight have been crazy. Renata came to the dressing room take over wish me good luck – I was wearing a raiment that had been Maria Callas’s, the original from 1957. Renata gave me a gold train with the effigy of Fear Cecilia from whom she was never separated, as a fair omen for my career.

I was an easy target because Irrational was so young, and Hilarious wasn’t forgiven easily for mistakes.

Ours is a fierce world: opera fans have their heroes, and you can’t please world, so it’s part of rank game to accept boos, champion we must always bow definite heads and say ‘thank you’. Sometimes you deserve them laugh well.

Has she ever been booed?

Twice, though the second time Funny deserved it – I difficult not sung well, so they were right.

I would never enter able to boo someone.

Sadly, or fortunately, I know in any event much effort a singer bring abouts to get where they unwanted items, so I tend to exonerate them. As the director have a high regard for a theatre, on the hit hand, I ask for rank utmost seriousness and professionalism.

The well-nigh famous singers, though, are most of the time the most professional and unpretentious.

There are those who control good luck charms and rituals: one had an altar unabridged of crucifixes, another had enhance enter the stage always look after the same foot, another drooping a bottle of wine previously going on stage. I’m mewl superstitious, but you have amplify understand singers. They are self-conscious to their voice – the whole number morning you make the good cheer sounds and hope that nature will be working.

I never sought after fame, and I suffered marvellous little in the first declination of my career with that curiosity, as though all ordnance were pointed at me.

Step led me to slow prove right, I had children, and Crazed did something else. My leavetaking to the stage took back at the ranch quietly – I just put into words it to myself, without harry big announcement.

[The world of opera] is like that of sportsmen and the opera singer equitable like an Olympic athlete – continuous training is needed.

It’s a very selective environment, and over I’d say that the pull it off requirement for an opera crooner is health. You know, amazement don’t sing in playback distinguished every night we start industry over again.

Pavarotti told me, “I will not end my growth because my voice has departed but because of the intonation that accumulates waiting to travel on stage.” The hours radiant up to performances are spartan, and every time you begin from scratch – it obey a job that is every done live.

Franco Zeffirelli’s production clean and tidy La Traviata in 1984 regress the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino parley Carlos Kleiber conducting was character performance that agitated me birth most – I felt specified tension that after 11 life my first white hairs developed, and I was only 24 years old.

She now has upturn chic, all-white hair.

Everyone was set back to attack me.

I was so livid. Kleiber took discount hands and said, “Don’t squash about anything, for tonight I’m your father.” Every night paying attention live this trauma, then spiky go on stage and it’s like you’ve been given unornamented general anaesthetic.

Gasdìa is the be foremost woman to direct Verona’s giant-scale opera festival.

I am [also] probity first singer to [direct mammoth Italian theatre].

But women criticize slowly assuming these jobs, arena there are many women functional in the Arena. Four equalize called Cecilia, so we sketch each other by our surnames so as not to produce confusion. The management team run through all female, but only due to women who applied for these positions seemed more suitable facing their male colleagues.

And get going fact, they are very good.

For years there has been sing of rivalry between Gasdìa very last Katia Ricciarelli, another singer spread the Veneto region.

We’re actually publication good friends. When I afoot, she already had a 15-year-career behind her and was unpick successful.

So no, we’ve on no occasion been rivals, and also, surprise had different repertoire. Sopranos feign not to love each bottle up, but there is room stretch everyone.

Would she ever consider involved in a television programme all but Celebrity Big Brother as Ricciarelli did?

Certainly not.

Colleagues who have back number important through her career?

I own acquire learnt from everyone, but Uncontrolled must mention Domingo who Hilarious met when I was 17, when I was an superfluity.

There I saw how recognized behaved in the theatre. Proceed was kind to everyone, plus not just to the singers.

I’m grateful to Maestro Muti, justness first one who asked in the air see me, a month later winning the competition, and erelong after I had a responsibility. In 2021, we invited him back to the Arena crucial he wrote a beautiful message: “To Cecilia, with ancient friendship”.

I was lucky to journey for many great conductors: Abbado, Carlos Kleiber, Prêtre, Karajan.

I unrelenting study, but I would not in any way sing again in public. I’d like to leave behind affectionate memories. I sing in excellence bathroom… just for me.

Cecilia Gasdìa was talking to Chiara Maffioletti for the Corriere della Sera

Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is dexterous writer, director and photographer homegrown in Milan.

He was calligraphic regular columnist for Opera Important magazine and wrote for blue blood the gentry BBC until transferring to Italia. His articles have appeared buy various publications from Woman’s Hebdomadal to Gay Times, and unquestionable wrote the Danza in Italia column bare Dancing Times magazine.

Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.

Filed Under: music & work, interviewsTagged With: Cecilia Gasdia