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The American soprano, Costanza Cuccaro, was a graduate of the University of Iowa. She was one of the youngest contestants ever to win first place in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions. Following that she studied in Rome as a Fulbright scholar.
After finishing her studies, Costanza Cuccaro began her international career at the Zürich Opera and later became the leading lyric-coloratura at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. She performed leading soprano roles with The Metropolitan Opera, The Dallas Opera, Teatro Colon, Toronto, Montreal, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Hamburg, Munich State Operas, and the Vienna State Opera.
Costanza Cuccaro's repertoire included Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto, Ariadne auf Naxos, and The Magic Flute. Her Metropolitan Opera debut role was Rosina in The Barber of Seville. She has appeared with the Chicago, Cleveland, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Detroit, Toronto, and Tel Aviv orchestras and has been heralded for her interpretations of the music of J.S. Bach in such cities as Moscow, Prague, Leipzig, Cleveland, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. She won high acclaim for her performances in many of the world's opera houses and concert halls.
Costanza Cuccaro's recording and video credits include numerous operas, oratorios, and Bach cantatas. Television appearances include the Johnny Carson Tonight Show and the Today Show.
Costanza Cuccaro won also Distinguished Teaching Awards from Missouri University and Indiana University. She gave master-classes, workshops and presentations at NATS National Convention, International Voice Teachers Conference, Voice Foundation, The NATS Mentoring Program, and major apprenticeship programs, festivals, and universities. Her students have won Fulbright Awards, The Metropolitan Opera Grand Final Awards, NATS competitions, The MacCallister Awards, and have been selected for the Adler, Merola and Western Opera Theater programs, Wolf Trap, Tanglewood, Chicago Lyric, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Houston, Glimmerglass, Chautauqua, Seattle, Palm Beach Ravinia, Santa Fe, Florida Grand, Aspen, and Washington Opera/Vilar programs. Many of her students are now singing with the major opera houses of the world.
Costanza Cuccaro was performance indications editor for two volumes of Vincenzo Righini's music, published by Southern Music. She was named Chancellor's Professor in Music in 2003. |
