The Italian true contralto, Sara Mingardo, studied in her hometown Venice at the Academy Benedetto Marcello. She won prizes in some singing competitions, among which the Prize Giulietta Simionato at the 23rd Vienna Competition and the first prize at the Competition Toti dal Monte.
Sara Mingardo made her debut in 1987 and appeared since 1989 in the best theatres in Italy, including La Scala in Milan, Teatro Fenice, San Carlo, Teatro Regio, at the Festival of Salzburg, Martina Franca and Switzerland. Her repertoire is extremely various and expands from L’Incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi to the Rape of Lucreze by Britten, while passing through Straniera or Anna Bolena or Tryptique by Puccini. She is notable for the title role in George Frideric Handel's Rinaldo, which she performed at the International Festival of Baroque Music of Bonn and at Théâtre des Champs Elysées. She is also aclectic in her choices of concerts activity, such as Johann Joseph Fux's Requiem and Ottorino Respighi's Lauda per Nativita, while passing through G.F. Handel's Messiah, W.A. Mozart's Requiem, Rossini's La Petite Messe Solennelle and Stabat Mater.
Sara Mingardo made her first recording in 1995 with Christophe Rousset, in which she sang the role in Riccardo by G.F. Handel. Additional recordings include Cantate, Gloria and Magnificat by Antonio Vivaldi with Rinaldo Alessandrini and Falstaff (role of Quickly) with John Eliot Gardiner.
Sara Mingardo is also an acclaimed voice teacher. Among the singers who have studied with her and/or attended her master-classes: Carla Babelegoto (Mezzo-soprano), Sara Bino (Soprano), Francesca Boncompagni (Soprano), Philippa Boyle (Soprano), Guglielmo Buonsanti (Bass), Lucia Cortese (Soprano), Lea Desandre (Mezzo-soprano), Jacopo Facchini (Counter-tenor), Maria Chiara Gallo (Mezzo-soprano), Ellen Giacone (Soprano), Lila Hajosi (Mezzo-soprano), Pascale Jonczyk (Mezzo-soprano), Lidija Jovanović (Contralto), Julia Kirchner (Soprano), Patrizio La Placa (Baritone), Lucia Napoli (Mezzo-soprano), Ana Maria Fonseca Núñez (Soprano), Florin Cezar Ouatu (Counter-tenor), Alberto Miguélez Rouco (Counter-tenor), Luca Scaccabarozzi (Bass), William Shelton (Counter-tenor), Michael Taylor (Counter-tenor), Sara Tommasini (Contralto/Mezzo-soprano), Mieke Van Uytvanck (Mezzo-soprano), Roberto Manuel Zangari (Tenor).*** |