Virginia Zeani

Virginia Zeani was born in Solavastru – a region of Transylvania in Romania. At the age of thirteen, she began serious study in Bucharest. She later studied under the famous Russian soprano Lydia Lipkowska, who molded the young Virginia into a topflight lyric-leggero soprano. In March of 1947 at the age of twenty one and with an established vocal range from low g to top f, Virginia traveled to Italy to study with the veteran tenor Aureliano Pertile. In addition to the help she was received from Pertile, Virginia also presented herself to Toscanini’s coaches at La Scala. The traditions passed on to her by Narducci, Fornarini, Gennai and Tonini in Milano and by Piazza, Marini and especially by old Luigi Ricci – who had been a repetiteur for Puccini and Mascagni in Roma – aided dramatically to her ability to create characters within her voice. She learnt from these famous people, all the arts associated with the science of singing, a style of teaching that is rare today. In May of 1948, at the Teatro Duse in Bologna, Virginia made her debut in their new production of Verdi’s TRAVIATA.
Her rare combiantion of voice, dramatic commitment and physical beauty made her debut an enormous success. The role Verdi’s heroine, remaind in her repertoire for the rest of her career – in fact Virginia has performed the role  648 times which must be the record for any soprano in the performing history of this opera. Virginia wisely took the advice of her teachers and coaches and accepted mainly light –lyric roles, whilst basing the main part of her repertoire on the bel cano roles of Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti. As well, she performend  such roles as Mimì in LA BOHEME, Gilda in RIGOLETTO, Marguerite in FAUST, the Manon of  Massenet and  Adina in L’ELISIR D’AMORE, which she sang in Cairo with Beniamino Gigli then in the twilight of his long career. Her Florentine debut took place in 1952 in Bellini’s lovely I PURITANI and it was in this production that she first met and worked with her husbandto-be, Nicola Rossi Lemeni.
The Teatro alla Scala in Milano called for her in 1956 and offered her the role of Cleopatra in Handel’s GIULIO CESARE. The cast today seems very stange, especially  the casting of the heroic tenor Franco Corelli as Sextus. The wonderful Giulietta Simionato sang Cornelia and the German fashion, the title role was assigned to a bass – Nicola Rossi Lemeni. Three months later, she and Rossi Lemeni married. Their son Alessandro was born about a year later. He is now a leading surgeon in Rome. The world premiere production of Poulenc’s DIALOQUES OF THE CARMELITES in January of 1957 at La Scala, found Virginia in the leading role of Blanche. Her American debut took place in Philadelphia in 1958 as Cleopatra in Handel’s GIULIO CESARE. That role also served as her New York debut a little later in the month. Following appearances as Olga in IVAN THE TERRIBLE at Palermo, she sang first Margherita in MEFISTOFELE and then THAIS with the San Carlo Company in Naples. With the passing years, Virginia’s voice grew heavier and darker and so she turned towards the more spinto and dramatic roles in the soprano repertoire. A special rapport with the Teatro Liceo of Barcelona developed and she soon began putting together an entirely new repertoire with that company. Puccini roles dominated, especially TOSCA, MADAME BUTTERFLY, and MANON LESCAUT, also she took on Giordano’s FEDORA and Cilea’s ADRIANA LECOUVREUR. In other words, she had finally made entry into the word of the Verismo. Virginia’s colleagues speak highly of her art, integrity and musicianship. She has performed with the most famous singers of  her time, from Beniamino  Gigli to Alfredo Kraus, Mario Del Monaco, Franco Corelli, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Nicola Rossi Lemeni, Renato Bruson, Piero Cappuccilli, Tito Gobbi, Boris Christoff, etc, etc. Her conductors have also been high in their praise, from the grand old maestro Tullio Serafin, to Herbert Von Karajan to Zubin Mehta. Virginia’s singing career before the public, drew to a close in later 1982 whit her participation in the San Francisco Opera production of Poulenc’s DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES. Happily settled in America where she is attached to the Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, Virginia devotes most of her time to her voice students.”I love my life as a teacher”, she says. “Why? Because never was I a great diva. No! Had I been a great diva, I could not teach now”.

Reasons for awarding the prize

To Ms. Virginia Zeani, a living legend of opera, an unforgettable soprano whose pure singing has become a true reference point for all sopranos who interpret opera roles.
Among the peculiar features of her unique register, we cannot forget the beauty, brightness, sumptuousness, homogeneity, and warmth of her voice, along with the pure happiness of singing that clearly emerges through every nuance.
For the joy that she gives to her countless fans, thanks to an extremely pure and magnificent style of singing, we are glad to award her the International Prize for Culture “Vissi d’Arte-Città di Alcamo”  2005.

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