Franco Fagioli

Biography

Franco Fagioli is one of the most exciting countertenors today. His performances of Handel's Giulio Cesare, Ariodante and Teseo, for instance, have set new standards and been unanimously acclaimed.

Franco Fagioli was born in 1981 at San Miguel de Tucumán (Argentina) and has both nationalities, argentinian and spanish. He studied first piano at the Music Institute of the Tucuman University and, later on, singing at the Institute of Art of the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. In 1997 he founded the choir of San Martin de Porres. This was an attempt to open the door towards music for adolescents of his region. Following the advice of his singing teacher, Annelise Skovmand, as well as that of Celina Lis and Maestro Ricardo Yost, he has specialised as a countertenor.

In 2003 he won the prestigious Bertelsmann singing competition "Neue Stimmen" in Germany. This was the start of his international career. Since then he has performed Hänsel and Gretel (Hänsel) at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Hercules (Lichas) by Handel at the Handel Festival in Halle, Lotario (Idelberto) at the Handel Festival in Karlsruhe, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Oberon) at the Bonn Opera, Semele (Athamas) at the Essen Opera, Gluck's Ezio (title role) at the Ludwigsburg Festival, L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Zurich Opera, Don Chisciotte in Sierra Morena (Cardenio) at the Innsbruck Festival, Orlando furioso (Ruggiero) at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genua, Giulio Cesare (Tolomeo) at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées. With the title role in Handel's Giulio Cesare he has made sensation in Zurich, Oslo and Karlsruhe.

Highlights for 2008/09 included the title role in Handel's Teseo at the Staatsoper Stuttgart, Telemaco for the Argentinian Premiere of Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria, Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and, last but not least, his acclaimed debut in recital at the sold out Staatsoper Stuttgart. His plans for this season include Ariodante (title role) at the Handel Festival in Karlsruhe, Giasone by Cavalli (title role) at the Chicago Opera Theatre for his USA debut, a World Premiere (Ainadamar von Golijov) at the Teatro Argentino in La Plata for the 200th Anniversary of the Argentinian Republic Version and Rodelinda by Handel (Bertarido) at the Festival della Valle d'Istria in Martina Franca . Further plans include, among others, L'incoronazione di Poppea (Nerone) at the Cologne Opera and at the Dresden State Opera.

Franco Fagioli has collaborated with conductors such as Rinaldo Alessandrini, Alan Curtis, Gabriel Garrido, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Michael Hofstetter, René Jacobs, Konrad Junghänel, Jose Manuel Quintana, Marc Minkowski, Riccardo Muti and Christophe Rousset.

His first recital in Europe at the Staatsoper Stuttgart in Fall 2009 was acclaimed with a standing ovation and enthousiastic reviews.

His discography includes a singer's portrait with arias by Handel and Mozart (Arte Nova/BMG Classics), Ezio by Gluck (Oehms Classics/SWR) and Teseo by Handel (Carus-Verlag/SWR). Upcoming recording plan is Berenice by Handel (EMI/Virgin Classics) as well as a solo recording (Carus Verlag/SWR).

May 2010

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