Katia Ricciarelli
Studied with Iris Adami Collaretti and graduated in voice from the Venice Conservatory. She made her debut in 1969 in La Boheme and in 1970 at the Regio di Parma in Il Trovatore. She won the RAI Verdi Voice Competition and went on to interpret all the great Verdi heroines earning international acclaim for her interpretation and vocal quality. The repertories of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini allowed her to further demonstrate her impressive vocal agility. In addition to the classic roles, her repertory also includes many roles from the contemporary Baroque period. She has been directed by all the great orchestral conductors including Von Karajan, Muti, Levine and Mehta. She has recorded more that 36 operas, oratorio, recitals and arias for all the major recording companies. With Domingo directed by Zeffirelli, she was unforgettable as Desdemona in the film-opera "Otello". She also maintains an intense schedule with La Scala, I Solisti Veneti, Le Vivialdiane. Patron of the Association Thalassemici, she holds recitals for charities and humanitarian organizations. In 1994, for 25 years in her career, she was nominated to the Vienna Kammersingerin; and in Italy, was nominated as a Grand Official of the Italian Republic. Her dedication to young aspiring singers brought her to found the International Opera Academy of which she is artistic director and a professor. From 1998, she is also artistic director for Lecce's Politeama Theatre. Celebrating 30 years of artistic achievement, she recorded "30 Years of Career" with DDG, a collection of famous arias. Her next engagement will be in 2001 in "Werther" with the tenor Sabbatini.

Giuseppe Taddei
Made his operatic debut at age 20 with the Opera di Roma and was instantly recognized as a major talent. His career was, however, interrupted by the Second World War. Resuming his career in 1945, he was engaged by the Vienna Opera where he remained for several years singing with the company and guesting abroad. It was during the first Viennese period that he met Karajan which marked the beginning of a collaboration that ended in 1981 with the famous Falstaff of Salzburg. He has sung in every major operatic theatre including La Scala and the Metropolitan. He is one of the most eclectic and lasting singers in operatic history. His repertory includes 150 roles among which are his favorites from Mozart, Puccini and Verdi.

Wilma Vernocchi
Soprano with Milan's La Scala for the last 15 years, her repertory includes all classical soprano roles as well as modern works by Hindemith and Maderna. She has sung for the most important opera companies and theatres throughout Italy, Europe, Japan and China. Representing Italy, she won the 2nd World-Wide Madam Butterfly Competition in Tokyo for the best execution and interpretation of Butterfly. She has appeared in various radio and television transmissions world-wide, served on the Board of Directors for La Scala and is currently a professor at the State Conservatory "G.B. Martini" in Bologna. For her artistic merit and dedication to musical education, she has been awarded the title of Grand Ufficial of the Order "Al Merito della Repubblica Italiana."

Mauro Trombetta
Studied voice at the Turin Conservatory with Elio Battaglia and composition with Enrico Correggia. He has participated in numerous radio and television broadcasts and sung with opera companies in Italy and abroad. He has been artistic director of Turin's Regio Theatre, the Opera di Roma, and for the Arena di Verona. He has been artistic director for seven seasons of the "Estate Musicale Novarese." A published author, he holds conferences on voice, theatre, and musical analysis. He currently teaches voice at the Peri Institute in Reggio Emilia and is artistic director for the Arena di Verona and Il Teatro Bellini in Catania.

Gigliola Frazzoni
In the 50's and 60's, with her exuberant presence and extraordinary vocality, became the ideal interpreter of the Puccini heroines. She was the acclaimed Minnie in 3 historic productions at La Scala, and an unforgettable Tosca for the Arena di Verona. She interpreted Minnie once again for the Opera di Roma's production "La Fanciulla del West" for the 1960 Olympic Games. Permanently identified with the Puccini heroines, she performed extensively abroad. Among her famed partners are Gigli, Volpi, Del Monaco, DiStefano, Raimondi, Cappuccilli, Taddei, and Azzolini. Her repertory also included Wagner, Verdi, Giordano and Poulenc.