“The last castrato. Arias for Velluti” will be released on Friday 28th of February 2025 by Château de Versailles Spectacles

The countertenor is to star on 30th of January at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples where he will be presenting a concert dedicated to his new album

Argentinian of Italian origins, he studied Belcanto in Buenos Aires and is today considered one of the greatest countertenors worldwide: Franco Fagioli, awarded the Premio “Abbiati” in 2011, tells of his unusual musical journey by celebrating the renowned last castrato in his album “The last castrato. Arias for Velluti”, to be released on Friday 28th of February 2025 by Château de Versailles Spectacles, recorded with the Chorus and Orchestra of the Opéra Royal conducted by Stefan Plewniak.

For his new album, Fagioli selected some of the greatest successes of Giovanni Battista Velluti (1780-1861), the Italian composer and singer who left a lasting mark on his fellow contemporary musicians as well as on those of the future generations. Gioachino Rossini and Saverio Mercadante – among the most celebrated 19th Century’s opera composers – together with some lesser-known musicians – who are just as worthy of attention thanks to their production and their collaborations with Velluti – like Paolo Bonfichi, Giuseppe Nicolini, and Francesco Morlacchi, are the authors featured in the recording.«

This project has its roots in my love for Belcanto – says Franco Fagioli – a love that I developed while I was studying at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, a place that has a solid tradition with Italian opera. At the time I was the first countertenor to study at the theater’s singing school, to the point that there were no music scores for my repertoire. That’s why I started by interpreting mezzo roles, a term that still defines my vocal range better than the word countertenor, and one that I believe should be used beyond the singer’s gender».

Some of the album’s tracks will be interpreted by Fagioli on Thursday 30th of January 2025 during a recital at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, with the theatre’s Orchestra conducted by George Petrou.

Photo credits: Franco Fagioli © Klara Beck