Press headshot via The Metropolitan Opera (metopera.org)
Marcello Giordani
Tenor (lyric-spinto)
Born January 25, 1963 in Augusta, Sicily, Italy (1963–2019)·d. October 5, 2019 in Augusta, Sicily, Italy (aged 56)
Opera
Marcello Giordani was an Italian operatic tenor who sang leading roles of the Italian and French repertoire in opera houses throughout Europe and the United States. He had a distinguished association with the New York Metropolitan Opera, where he sang in over 240 performances from the time of his debut there in 1993. He founded the Marcello Giordani Foundation to help young opera singers.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
9 Signature Roles7 Principal Houses
Spotlight
Career Trajectory
Born in Sicily as Marcello Guagliardo, Giordani rose to international prominence through private vocal study and an unconventional path that eschewed conservatory training in favor of intensive mentorship. After his professional debut in 1986, he became a fixture at the world's greatest opera houses, singing over 240 performances at the Metropolitan Opera across three decades and establishing himself as a master of lyric and spinto roles in the Italian, French, and verismo repertoires. His career was marked by legendary vocal stamina and interpretive depth, culminating in a legacy as one of the finest Italian tenors of his generation before his death in 2019.
Career Highlight
Opened the Metropolitan Opera season as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (2006) and as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor (2007); sang two leading roles—Faust in La Damnation de Faust and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly—on the same day at the Met (2008)
At a Glance
- Voice
- Tenor (lyric-spinto)
- Nationality
- Italian
- Born
- 1963 · Augusta, Sicily, Italy
- Active since
- 2006
Engagements
Verified past & upcoming performances
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Career Arc
A chronological journey through key moments
1963Born in Augusta, Sicily, Italy
2006Opened the Metropolitan Opera season as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly
2007As Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor
2008Sang two leading roles—Faust in La Damnation de Faust and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly—on the same day at the Met
2019Died in Augusta, Sicily, Italy
Available Performances
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