+++
date = "2018-02-07T16:56:00-05:00"
discipline = "Tenor"
lastmod = "2018-02-07T16:56:00-05:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1518040343696/meli-e1453220998660.jpg.jpg"
publishDate = "2018-02-07T16:56:00-05:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/royal-opera-house.md","scene/companies/teatro-alla-scala.md","scene/companies/washington-national-opera.md","scene/companies/los-angeles-opera.md","scene/companies/opernhaus-zurich.md","scene/companies/salzburg-festival.md","scene/companies/wiener-staatsoper.md"]
slug = "francesco-meli"
title = "Francesco Meli"
+++

Born in Genova in 1980, he starts his singing studies at the age of seventeen with soprano Norma Palacios at his hometown’s School of music.

In 2002 he makes his debut in *Macbeth*, *Petite Messe Solennelle* and Puccini’s *Messa di gloria* at the Festival dei due Mondi in Spoleto and he begins then the debuts in the main Italian Houses like Bologna, Venice, Florence, Naples, Verona and Turin.

He makes his debut at La Scala in 2000 in *Les dialogues des Carmelites* under the baton of Riccardo Muti, and he will come back to La Scala later on for *Otello*, *Idomeneo*, *Don Giovanni*, *Maria Stuarda* and *Der Rosenkavalier*.

In 2005 he opens Rossini Opera Festival in a new production of Bianca e Falliero and Teatro Carlo Felice in *Don Giovanni*.

He makes his big foreign debuts in *Il Barbiere di Siviglia* in Zurich, *Don Giovanni* in Paris and at the Barbican, *La sonnambula* in Lyon released on CD by Virgin (with Natalie Dessay), *Così fan tutte* in Wien under Riccardo Muti, *Maometto II* in Tokio, *Rigoletto* at Covent Garden.

Since 2009 he slowly moves from bel canto to more lyric roles: after his debut in *I Lombardi alla prima crociata*, *Simon Boccanegra* and *Werther* in Parma, he sings again *I Lombardi alla prima crociata* in Macerata, *Rigoletto* at Met in New York, *Simon Boccanegra* in Wien, *Un ballo in maschera* in Parma, *Il Trovatore* at Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, debuts in *Werther* in Washington and in *I due Foscari* in Los Angeles.

In the Verdi year 2013 he sings for the opening season at Teatro dell’Opera in Rome and in a new production of *Simon Boccanegra* conducted by Riccardo Muti, and sings the main Verdi roles with the top-rated conductors in the main Italian and foreign Houses : highlights are *Un ballo in maschera* at Accademia di Santa Cecilia with Antonio Pappano, a new *Trovatore* in Salzburg, *La Traviata* in Paris, *I due Foscari* in London, *Ernani* in Rome and at the Met, *Simon Boccanegra* at La Fenice and Wien, *Carmen*, *Giovanna d’Arco*, *I due Foscari*, *Don Carlo* and *La Traviata* at La Scala....

He has sung Verdi *Requiem* conducted by Riccardo Chailly, Daniele Gatti, Fabio Luisi, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Gianandrea Noseda and Yuri Temirkanov.

He recorded DVDs of Verdi’s *Requiem*, *Anna Bolena* and *Giovanna d'Arco* for Deutsche Grammophone and *I Lombardi alla prima crociata* for Unitel.

Among his future engagements, a new *Aida* in Salzburg with Riccardo Muti, as well as regular engagements for new productions in La Scala, London, Madrid, Munich, Vienna....
