Giuseppe Giacomini

Giuseppe Giacomini (1940- ) is an Italian dramatic tenor born at Veggiano near Padua, Italy, on the 7th of September 1940.

His professional debut was in 1966 at the theatre of Vercelli (Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly),Conductor Ino Savini and Sharpless Giuseppe Valdengo,followed by performances in Parma and Modena in 1969 as Turiddu and Des Grieux. Sang in the most important opera Houses of the world, including La Scala and The Metropolitan Opera.

An impressive tenor voice because of its richness and power. Known as "Bepi" amongst his fans, recently celebrated his 40th anniversary of singing.

Training and Career

Giacomini began his vocal career studying with Elena Ceriati, Marcello del Monaco and Vladimiro Badiali. After some success with song competitions around Italy, he made his professional debut in 1966 in Vercelli, as Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. In 1969 he performed as Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Des Grieux (Manon Lescaut) in Parma and Modena. His first engagement outside Italy was in 1970 in Berlin, where he portrayed the lead tenor role of Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut. He went on to star in Il Tabarro in Lisboa (1971), Tosca in Barcelona (1972) and Wien (1973), and then at the Munchen staatsoper in 1973. In 1974 Giacomini returned to Italy to tremendous acclaim at the top houses - La Scala (Forza del Destino, 1974; La Bohème, 1975), Teatro San Carlo, Teatro Reggio, Opera di Roma, and the Teatro Reggio.He also appeared in 1975 in less prestigious Mantova in Fedora, entirely forgettable as a a production except for his own appearance as Loris, his 'Amor ti vieta,' all steel and line, drawing an enthusiastic encore from an otherwise unengaged audience. His enormous success in Italy earned him contracts with other great houses worldwide, such as Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires and the Paris Grand Opera.

Giacomini made his American debut as Ramirez in La Fanciulla del West in 1975, making his Metropolitan Opera debut the year afterwards in Forza del Destino. This performance earned him several more contracts with the house in the big Italian repertory: Macbeth, Don Carlo, Il Trovatore, Pagliacci and Tosca in the next few years. It was only after this success that he made his first Covent Garden appearance in 1980 (Fanciulla del West).

The tenor sang all over the world, including for the British Royal Family at Covent Garden (1988) and for Gorbachev in Moscow. He has accumulated numerous awards, and is Commendatore of the Ordine di San Gregorio Magno.

Particular performances of note include his participation in the world premiere of Marco Tutino's 'La Lupa' in Livorno in 1990 where he sang the role of Nanni, and his Des Grieux at the hundred-anniversary of the premiere of Puccini's Manon Lescaut at the Teatro Reggio di Torino. He also sang for the Royal Family at the Covent Garden in 1988 and Gorbachev in Moscow, took part in the historical staging of Aida set against the pyramids of Cairo in 1987 and was Calaf in Seoul on occasion of the opening of the Olympic Games in 1988. He is also credited with the revival of rare operas as Donizetti's Fausta (Roma, 1981) and Leoncavallo's Medici (Frankfurt, 1993). Among his prizes and honour count the title Kammersänger of the Staatsoper in Wien, the Gold Viotti, the Giovanni Zenatello Prize, the C.A.Capelli Prize, the Gold Mascagni and the Giovanni Martinelli Prize. He is also Commendatore of the Ordine di San Gregorio Magno, an Italian order of knighthood.

Despite his enormous career truly extraordinary voice, Giacomini never achieved widespread fame in the opera world. His fans consider him among the greatest tenors of the century, and more than anyone else, heir to the spinto tenor tradition of Franco Corelli. Though he was rumored to have retired in 2000, he has continued to make concert appearances around the world and appeared effectively as Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden when past his 60th birthday.