MarinaViotti

Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti, described by the New York Times as ‘the opera star with heavy-metal chops’, has established herself as a commanding presence on the international stage. Her operatic engagements include leading roles at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro Real Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona and Berlin Staatsoper, while a high-profile appearance opening the Paris 2024 Olympics – performing ‘Ah! Ça Ira’ with Gojira before delivering the Habanera from Carmen – brought her artistry to a global audience. Her remarkable versatility encompasses Baroque, bel canto and operetta as well as recital repertoire ranging from Ravel and Poulenc to Weill and Jacques Brel.

The 2026/27 season sees Marina return to the Bayerische Staatsoper to sing Juno Semele, Rosina Barbiere and Charlotte in a new production of Werther; to the Opéra national de Paris to sing Rosina; and to Opera Lausanne to sing Romeo in a new production of Bellini I Capuleti. She will also return to Teatro Real Madrid to sing Rosina in a new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Highlights of the 25/26 season included her return to Opernhaus Zurich to sing Prince Orlofsky Die Fledermaus; to the Berlin Staatsoper as Rosina Il barbiere in Siviglia; and to the Salzburg Festival to sing Marchesa Melibea in Rossini Il viaggio a Reims directed by Barrie Kosky; and performances of Carmen, one of her signature roles, for Dallas Opera and the Greek National Opera. Other recent highlights include her return to the Paris Opéra as Siébel Faust, Orlofsky Die Fledermaus in Barrie Kosky’s production at the Dutch National Opera. She has appeared as Jocasta Oedipus Rex at the Salzburg Festival, as Maddalena Rigoletto at the Bavarian State Opera, Stéphano Roméo et Juliette at La Scala, Rosina at the Bolshoi, in Barcelona and Verona, Nicklausse Les Contes d’Hoffmann at La Scala, Milan and Zurich Opera and the title roles of Alceste at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome and of La Périchole and La Cenerentola in Paris.

Her creative and original approach to recital programming has made her a highly sought-after recitalist, with appearances at venues and festivals including the Gstaad New Year Music Festival, the Biarritz Piano Festival, Opera du Rhin and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Her first solo recital, ‘Porque existe otro querer’, explored French and Hispanic romances with works by Fauré, Falla, Massenet, Isolina Carrillo and Jacques Brel, and the recording with guitarist Gabriel Biano was released to wide acclaim. She recently performed her programme ‘About Last Night’, with repertoire ranging from jazz to cabaret and French chanson, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Le Concert de la Loge; with further performances planned this season at La Monnaie and KKL Luzern.

As a concert singer her appearances include performances with the Orquestra Gulbenkian in Lisbon, at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and at the Grafenegg Festival. She has also recorded A Tribute to Pauline Viardot with Les Talens Lyriques under Christophe Rousset for CD.

Marina Viotti initially studied flute, experimented with jazz, gospel and heavy metal, and completed a Master’s degree in philosophy and literature, before studying singing with Heidi Brunner in Vienna and Brigitte Balleys in Lausanne, and completing her bel canto training with Raúl Giménez.

She is a prize-winner in several competitions, including the Concours de Genève, the Concours International de Chant de Mâcon, the International Opera Awards in London and the Victoires de la Musique, as ‘Artiste lyrique de l’année 2023’.

In 2025 she was awarded ‘Chevalière de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ by the French Ministry of Culture.