BIOGRAPHY

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Simone Piazzola started his musical studies at the age of 11, under the guidance of soprano Alda Borelli Morgan. In 2004, he participated in several concerts, organized by the Fondazione Arena di Verona. Winner of several prizes, such as First Prize “Marie Kraja” in Tirana (2005), First Prize at the Competition “Comunità Europea” of Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto (2007), Second Prize and the Audience Award at Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Competition in Verona (2013), Abbiati Prize (2013), “Bastianini” Prize in Sirmione (2017), “Arrigo Boito” Prize in Padua and Premio Speciale per la Lirica “Rocca di Castruccio” in Serravalle Pistoiese (2020), Premio Abbiati della Critica Teatrale for his interpretation of the role of Simon Boccanegra (2015) and for Rossini’s L’Incisione della Messa by Decca, conducted by Riccardo Chailly (2019).

 

Simone Piazzola made his debut in 2005 at the Giordano Theater, in Foggia in U. Giordano’s Il Re, and subsequently, Rigoletto, directed by Bruno Campanella at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, an opera resumed on a tour in Japan, and then as Conte di Luna in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, at the Teatro Nuovo in Spoleto.

 

In 2012, Italian baritone took part in the Christmas Concert of the Senate of the Italian Republic, directed by Riccardo Muti.

 

In 2014, he made his debut at the Teatro alla Scala as Conte di Luna, then he returned to Milan to perform Silvio in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci (2015), Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème (2016), Rodrigue in Verdi’s Don Carlos, the French version (2017), Don Carlo in Verdi’s Ernani and an extraordinary recital of chamber arias (2018).

 

Piazzola’s outstanding performances between 2014 and 2018 also include: Cecil in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda, conducted by Richard Bonynge and under the direction of Pier Luigi Pizzi, at the Megaron Theater in Athens; Marcello in La Bohème, at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo and Israeli Opera; Conte di Luna at Sferisterio Macerata Opera Festival and Hungarian State Opera; Don Carlo in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, at the Palau de les Arts de Valencia; Enrico in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Real de Madrid, Teatro La Fenice and Semperoper Dresden; Duca di Nottingham in Roberto Devereux, at Teatro Real de Madrid, Bilbao Opera and Bayerische Staatsoper. In 2017, Simone sang Don Carlo di Vargas, alongside Jonas Kaufmann, in Munich.

 

In the 2018-19 season, Italian baritone performed Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, at Covent Garden, Royal Opera House of Muscat, Arena di Verona, Bayerische Staatsoper and Staatsoper Hamburg. He also sang Amonasro in Aida, at Wiener Staatsoper and Gstaad Menuhin Festival; Don Carlo in Ernani, at Teatro alla Scala and Teatre Principal de Maó; Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, at the Teatro Real de Madrid; Ford at the Berliner Staatsoper Unter den Linden; Alphonse in Donizetti’s La Favorite (French version), at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo; Seid in Verdi’s Il Corsaro, at the Fondazione Teatri di Piacenza; Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, at Opéra National de Paris and Bayerische Staatsoper; Conte di Luna at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Arena di Verona and Ópera de Oviedo; Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Marcello in La Bohème, at the Semperoper Dresden.

 

During the season 2019-2020, Piazzola sang Ezio in Verdi’s Attila, at the Opera Australia; Ernesto in Bellini’s Il Pirata and Rodrigo in Don Carlo, at Teatro Real de Madrid; and the title role in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at the Wiener Staatsoper. During the pandemic, Simone took part in gala streaming online concerts at La Scala and Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, among others.

 

Simone Piazzola’s 2020-21 season has started at the Arena di Verona, as Amonasro. Then, he sang several gala concerts at Teatro Verdi di Padova, Operaestate Festival Veneto, Teatro Antico di Taormina and Teatro Sociale di Rovigo. Also in Rovigo, Simone sang Giorgio Germont. At the Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, he performed Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera and a gala concert. Subsequently, Piazzola sang Don Carlo in Ernani and Giorgio Germont, at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo; and Renato at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

 

In the season 2021-22: Germont at Arena di Verona, Teatro Verdi di Padova, Teatro Goldoni di Livorno and Canadian Opera Company; Don Carlo di Vargas at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège; Ford et the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; Alfonso in La Favorita, at the Teatro Regio di Parma; and Conte di Luna at the New Zealand Opera. His 2022-23 season started with Rigoletto, at the Teatro Mario del Monaco di Treviso, and Il Trovatore at the Luglio Musicale Trappanese. Then, Giorgio Germont at the San Francisco Opera; Rigoletto at the Polish National Opera; Ezio in Verdi’s Attila, at the Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari; Il Trovatore at the Opera Hong Kong; Amonasro at the Arena di Verona; Germont at Ópera de Las Palmas and Arena di Verona; and Rigoletto at the Romanian National Opera in Cluj-Napoca.

 

Highlights of Piazzola’s 2023-24 season include roles such as De Sirex in Giordano’s Fedora, at Fondazione Teatri di Piacenza and Teatro Pavarotti-Freni di Modena; Rigoletto at the Festival Mediterranea, Malta; Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, in Verona; Sharpless in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, at the Staatsoper Hamburg; Falstaff at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège; and Guglielmo in Puccini’s Le Villi, at the Teatro Regio di Torino.

 

Simone Piazzola is starting the season 2024-25, singing Germont at the ORW-Liège. Among his next engagements, he will perform the roles of Duca di Notthingam in Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux, at the Donizetti Opera Festival Bergamo; Germont at Teatro Verdi di Pisa, Teatro Spontini di Jesi and Teatro Verdi di Salerno. At the Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania, Simone will make an important Verdi’s role debut: Iago in Otello.        

  

In August 2024, Simone Piazzola was honored with the Best Male Opera Artist 2024 Award by the Maria Callas Monaco Awards organization, under the esteemed patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco.