Italian soprano Maria Novella Malfatti is quickly becoming recognized for her beautiful voice, sensitive artistry, and compelling stage presence.

Ms. Malfatti is currently a member of the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Recent highlights include her debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago as one of the three apparitions in Macbeth, directed by Sir David McVicar and under the baton of Enrique Mazzola. She also covered Adina in L’elisir d’amore and Pamina in Barrie Kosky’s production of Die Zauberflöte.

In 2020, Ms. Malfatti debuted at both the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam as Azema in Semiramide, conducted by Michele Mariotti, and at Dutch National Opera in Weill’s Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, under the baton of Markus Stenz.

In the 2018-2019 season, Ms. Malfatti sang at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl in Austria as Musetta in La bohème, under the baton of Paolo Carignani, and as the soprano soloist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, conducted by Martin Sieghart. She also performed Bach’s St. John Passion in Utrecht and Oosterhout, conducted respectively by Bernhard Touwen and Rick Muselaers, and in Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen and directed by Ivo Van Hove.

Since 2017, Ms. Malfatti has performed regularly at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl under the baton of Gustav Kuhn, singing the roles of Tamiri in Mozart’s Il re pastore, Musetta, Cleone in Rossini’s Ermione, and A Young Shepherd in Tannhäuser, as well as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio. In 2015, she recorded a duet from La traviata with Andrea Bocelli for Michael Radford’s “La Musica del Silenzio,” a biographical film about Mr. Bocelli’s life.

Ms. Malfatti is a district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2021. In September 2018, she was a finalist in the 52^nd International Vocal Competition of s’ Hertogenbosch, and in 2016, she was awarded Third Prize at the Ferruccio Tagliavini International Competition for Opera Singers in Deutschlandsberg, Austria.

Ms. Malfatti graduated with ‘top marks & Cum Laude’ in Master Classical Voice from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Prior to her studies in Amsterdam, she studied voice with acclaimed sopranos Janet Perry and Raina Kabaivanska at the Accademia Chigiana of Siena, Italy, and with Don Marrazzo, and also studied violin at the Conservatory “L. Boccherini” of Lucca with Alberto Bologni.