Italian mezzo-soprano Erica Cortese is an emerging young artist with a growing focus on the Italian repertoire, particularly Verdi, Bellini and Puccini. A former member of the Accademia Verdiana at the Teatro Regio di Parma and an artist of the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, she has appeared in roles including Carmen, Amneris, Hänsel and Zita.

2026/27 SEASON

Erica Cortese opens the 2026/27 season at the Festival Verdi, appearing as Zuma in Verdi’s Alzira at the Teatro Regio di Parma, in a new production conducted by James Conlon and directed by Manuel Renga. During the Festival, she also covers Amneris in Aida at the Teatro Verdi di Busseto.

She subsequently makes her role debut as Adalgisa in Bellini’s Norma at the Teatro Magnani di Fidenza and returns to the Teatro Regio di Parma as Giovanna in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

At the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Cortese appears as Flora Bervoix in La traviata and as Zweite Magd in Richard Strauss’s Elektra.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

Recent engagements include the title role in Bizet’s Carmen at the Kumamoto Prefectural Theatre in Japan, Amneris in Verdi’s Aida in Bologna, Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the Teatro Comunale Pavarotti-Freni di Modena, and Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel at the Teatro Regio di Parma.

Further roles include Leonora Dorini in Alessandro Scarlatti’s Il trionfo dell’onore at the Festival della Valle d’Itria, Bersi in Andrea Chénier at the Teatro Magnani di Fidenza, Clotilde in Norma at the Teatro Alighieri di Ravenna and Teatro Galli di Rimini, La Badessa in Suor Angelica at the Teatro Antico di Taormina and La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi with the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

On the concert stage, Cortese’s repertoire includes Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Mozart’s Requiem and Krönungsmesse, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Vivaldi’s Gloria and Stabat Mater. Her international concert appearances include performances in Japan as well as an extensive tour of China with the iSING! Festival.

Erica Cortese studied at the Conservatorio Arrigo Boito in Parma with Adriana Cicogna and subsequently continued her training with Raina Kabaivanska. She attended the Accademia del Belcanto “Rodolfo Celletti” at the Festival della Valle d’Itria and was selected for the Accademia Verdiana at the Teatro Regio di Parma. In 2025, she joined the Maria Manetti Shrem Emerging Artists Program at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

She has worked with conductors including James Conlon, Marin Alsop, Daniele Callegari, Michele Spotti and Federico Maria Sardelli.

SELECTED ROLES

Carmen · Carmen

Kumamoto Prefectural Theatre

Amneris · Aida

Bologna

Adalgisa · Norma

Teatro Magnani di Fidenza

Hänsel · Hänsel und Gretel

Teatro Regio di Parma

Zita · Gianni Schicchi

Teatro Comunale Pavarotti-Freni di Modena

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