Riccardo Massi

Riccardo Massi has gained international recognition as an exciting Italian spinto tenor, having been heard in such theaters as the Royal Opera House — Covent Garden, Berlin State Opera, German Opera in Berlin, Rome Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Zürich Opera House, Norwegian Opera in Oslo, Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Turin Royal Theatre, and Opera Australia.

In season 2018/19, he made his role debut as Gabriele Adorno in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra with Marseille Opera, after which he reprised the roles of Des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and Riccardo in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Massi also debuted at the Comunale Theatre in Bologna as Manrico in Verdi’s Il trovatore, appeared as Calaf in Puccini’s Turandot with the Guadalajara Philharmonic Orchestra and made his debut with the Washington National Opera as Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca. In season 2017/18, Massi debuted at the Los Angeles Opera as Don José in Bizet’s Carmen and at the Hamburg State Opera as Cavaradossi. He also sang Cavaradossi at Covent Garden and with the KBS Symphony in Seoul and appeared as Radamès in Verdi’s Aida at the Colon Theatre in Buenos Aires, Opera Australia, and Opera Hong Kong. Engagements for season 2016/17 included his return to the Metropolitan Opera as Radamès, his role debut as Des Grieux in a new production of Manon Lescaut at the Bolshoi Theatre and at the Berlin State Opera, his debut at the New National Theatre Tokyo as Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and Calaf at the Cologne Opera. In season 2015/16, Massi sang Cavaradossi in Tosca at Covent Garden and Semperoper, Radamès at the Turin Royal Theatre, Calaf at the Zürich Opera, Opera Australia and Bregenz Festival, and Rodolfo in Verdi’s Luisa Miller with Opera Australia. He began season 2014/15 with his debut at the Norwegian Opera as Pinkerton. Riccardo Massi then sang Enzo in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda for his debut with the Marseille Opera, Cavaradossi with Opera Australia, Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera at La Monnaie, Don José at the German Opera in Berlin, Verdi’s Requiem at the Genève Theatre, and Calaf for his debut at the Bregenz Festival. His engagements for season 2013/14 included his debut at the Houston Grand Opera as Radamès, his debut at the Royal Opera House as Cavaradossi, and his debut as the title role in Giordano’s Andrea Chenier in Stockholm. At the start of season 2012/13, Riccardo Massi sang his first Manrico for the Canadian Opera Company. He then sang Riccardo at the Basel Theatre in Switzerland, Calaf in a new production of Turandot at the Royal Swedish Opera, Radamès for his debut at the Michigan Opera, and Don Alvaro in Verdi’s La forza del destino with Opera Australia. In season 2011/12, Massi sang Cavaradossi at the Bavarian State Opera, Turin Royal Theatre, Champs-Elysées Theatre, Berlin State Opera, Avignon Opera, and in Rio de Janeiro for his South American debut. He also sang Pollione in Bellini’s Norma and Arrigo in Verdi’s La battaglia di Legnano at the Rome Opera, Don Alvaro at the Colón Theatre in Buenos Aires, and Enzo in a concert performance of La Gioconda at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, opposite Eva-Maria Westbroek.

Riccardo Massi developed his vocal technique in Rome with David Holst, who has since been his sole mentor. After receiving an invitation to join La Scala Academy, Massi made his operatic debut in December of 2009 as Radamès in Salerno under Daniel Oren. He subsequently sang his first Cavaradossi with the Salzburg State Theatre and then added Pollione to his répertoire in Lima, Peru. In the summer of 2010, Massi made his Glyndebourne Festival debut as Malcolm in Verdi’s Macbeth, making his German operatic debut in October of 2010 as Cavaradossi at the Berlin State Opera. He later debuted at the Giuseppe Verdi Theatre in Trieste as Jacopo Foscari in Verdi’s I due Foscari and at the Rome Opera as Arrigo in La Battaglia di Legnano. In the spring of 2011, Massi made his North American debut in Tosca with the Palm Beach Opera, later performing the same work in concert at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland under Gianandrea Noseda. Other roles in Massi’s developing repertoire include the title roles in Ernani and Don Carlos, Arrigo in I vespri siciliani, and Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur by Verdi.