Francesca Roberto
{{short description|American operatic soprano}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
Francesca Roberto (born c. 1935, Connecticut) 1940 United States Federal Census for Frances Roberts [Roberto], Connecticut, Fairfield, Greenwich, S.D. Number 4, E.D. Number 1-68, Sheet No. 6B is an American operatic soprano. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she sang leading roles throughout the United States during the 1960s and early 1970s.
Life and career
Raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Roberto studied voice at The Hartt School and in Italy.{{cite news|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1961/04/07/101455283.html?pageNumber=25|title=George Shirley, Tenor, Wins 'Met' Auditions and a Contract|author=Allen Hughes|work=The New York Times|date=April 7, 1961|page=25}} In 1954 she made her Broadway debut as a member of the chorus in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Zz_AwAAQBAJ&q=%22Francesca+Roberto%22&pg=PA189|title=The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals|author=Dan Dietz|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2014|page=189|isbn=9781442235052}} In 1961 she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
In 1962 Roberto sang with George Shirley on The Bell Telephone Hour and appeared as Violetta in La traviata with conductor Boris Goldovsky and the New England Opera Theater.{{cite web|url = http://media.aadl.org/documents/pdf/ums/programs_19621019e.pdf|title =La traviata|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160602115209/http://media.aadl.org/documents/pdf/ums/programs_19621019e.pdf|archive-date = June 2, 2016|work = Ann Arbor District Library|access-date = June 6, 2015}} In 1963 she portrayed the title role in Samuel Barber's Vanessa at the Washington National Opera with Beverly Wolff as Erika.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1963/11/09/archives/8th-opera-season-opens-in-capital-samuel-barbers-vanessa-presented.html?sq=%2522Beverly+Wolff%2522&scp=17&st=p|title=8th Opera Season Opens in Capital; Samuel Barber's Vanessa Presented at Howard U.|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 9, 1963}} In 1964 she sang the title role in Puccini's Tosca with the Brooklyn Opera.{{cite news|url=http://www.charlesmay.com/pdf/opera_news.pdf|title=Brooklyn Bonanza|work=Opera News|date=December 26, 1964|access-date=June 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035618/http://www.charlesmay.com/pdf/opera_news.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}
In 1965/1966 Roberto toured the United States with the Metropolitan Opera National Company performing the roles of Cio-Cio-San in Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Frasquita in Carmen.{{Cite news|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1966/04/18/page/B5/article/young-opera-stars-to-open-here|title=Young Opera Stars to Open Here (April 18, 1966)|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2016-06-02}} That same year she portrayed the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's Aida at the Toledo Opera.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19641020&id=PToxAAAAIBAJ&pg=7099,4743149&hl=en|title=Aida to Open Season of Opera at Peristyle|date=October 21, 1964|work=The Toledo Blade}} She made her debut, and only performance, at the Metropolitan Opera in 1966 as Cio-Cio-San with George Shirley as Pinkerton and George Schick conducting.{{cite web|url=https://archives.metopera.org/MetOperaSearch/record.jsp?dockey=0373147|title=Madama Butterfly performance details|date=January 5, 1966|id=CID:204990|work=Metropolitan Opera Archives|access-date=April 3, 2024}} That same year she made her debut at the Seattle Opera as Nedda in Pagliacci with Roald Reitan as Silvio and James McCracken as Canio.{{cite web|url=http://seattleopera50.com/?photo=leoncavallos-pagliacci-1966|title=1966 Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci|work=Seattle Opera Archives}} She was also the soloist with the Rhode Island Philharmonic in 1966.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQ8EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Francesca+Roberto%22+%22opera%22&pg=PA46|title=Classical Notes|date=October 1, 1966|magazine=Billboard}}
In 1967 Roberto made her debut at the San Francisco Opera as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana.{{cite web|url=http://archive.sfopera.com/qry3WebCastlist_l.asp?psearchall=on&psearch=Francesca%20Roberto&psearchtype=|title=Francesca Roberto|work=San Francisco Opera Archives|access-date=June 6, 2015}} That same year she made her debut at the New York City Opera as Mimi in La bohème with Plácido Domingo as Rodolfo.{{cite news|url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1967/10/14/90410938.html?pageNumber=12|title=Francesca Roberto Sings Mimi in Debut|page=12|date=October 14, 1967|work=The New York Times}} She also portrayed Cio-Cio-San to Domingo's Pinkerton with the NYCO in 1967.{{cite magazine|title=New York City Opera Stages 'Butterfly'|magazine=The New Yorker|date=March 4, 1967}} She returned to the NYCO in the 1968-1969 season to portray Cio-Cio-San (with Domingo) and Santuzza, and once again in 1972 as Santuzza.{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D07E2D8143AE73ABC4C51DFB2668389669EDE|title=Cav and Pag Enlist Two New Heroines|author=Robert Sherman|author-link=Robert Sherman (music critic)|work=The New York Times|date=April 24, 1972}}
References
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Category:American operatic sopranos
Category:Musicians from Greenwich, Connecticut
Category:University of Hartford Hartt School alumni
Category:Winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
Category:20th-century American women opera singers