GESUA GALLIFOCO

The Italian soprano Gesua Gallifoco graduated with top honors from the Conservatorio “Giuseppe Verdi” in Como and perfected her skills at the Accademia del belcanto Rodolfo Celletti, where she participated in masterclasses with internationally renowned conductors and directors. At just 21, she debuted as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi after winning the “Voce all’opera” competition. She has performed on important Italian and international stages, singing key roles such as Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and the Teatro Municipale in Piacenza. She was also the cover for the role of Gilda at the Maggio Fiorentino and later debuted the role in South Korea. Her extensive repertoire also includes Norina (Don Pasquale), Musetta (La bohème), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and Sophie (Werther). She is a prizewinner of the AsLiCo competition and the Fausto Ricci Award.

The first round opens with Manon’s aria, “Adieu, notre petite table,” a moment of profound anguish in which the protagonist bids farewell to her beloved, knowing she will succumb to the allure of a luxurious life. This is followed by Mimì’s aria from La bohème, in which the young woman introduces herself with touching simplicity. The semifinal is dedicated to drama: Liù’s famous aria from Turandot is a song of pure love and sacrifice, while Anna Bolena’s aria, “Piangete voi? … Al dolce guidami castel natio,” is the tragic climax of the opera, where the queen, now mad, prepares for death by dreaming of a return to her childhood home.