Overnight fame
Nicola Ulivieri sings Guglielmo in Così fan tutte
Nicola Ulivieri was born into a musical family in the province of Trento. As a child he learned to play the violin and later studied singing at the Claudio Monteverdi Conservatory in Bolzano. He won several singing competitions before making his debut in 1995 in the title role of Nino Rota’s opera La notte di un nevrastico in Cosenza. Since then he has made frequent appearances at all major Italian opera houses and festivals.
Nicola Ulivieri singt den Guglielmo
What does singing mean for you?
Singing is the art form in which I can best express myself and in
which I feel at home. It means that I can make an artistic statement and
give something of myself to other people. After developing a good basic
technique you can begin to concentrate on the real artistic expression,
the interpretation and then something individual and creative occurs.
I love Mozart above all and I think that my timbre, my bass baritone is especially suitable for this repertoire. With Mozart I can play as I sing, I am fascinated by the scenic and musical portrayal. The interpretation on stage and the musical precision of Mozart is the utmost that can be found in opera.
Two years ago at very short notice you took over the role of Leporello
in the Salzburg Festival production of Don Giovanni with great success.
My colleague Ildebrando d’Arcangelo fell ill and they called me.
This time I will be calmer and have a longer period of preparation before
coming on stage. I am looking forward to it because Salzburg is very important
for me. It will be my first meeting with the directors Ursel and Karl-Ernst
Herrmann. I met Philippe Jordan a few years ago, he is a marvellous conductor,
a young man with outstanding qualities.
What plans do you have for your musical development?
I intend to perfect my present roles. This is a never-ending task.
Ulla Kalchmair interviewed Nicola Ulivieri.