Virginia Zeani

Born October 21, 1925, in Solovăstru, Romania, Virginia Zeani was an acclaimed soprano opera singer best known for her portrayal of Violetta in Puccini’s La Traviata. She took singing lessons from Lydia Lipovskaja in Budapest, Hungary and Aureliano Pertile in Milan, Italy before making her stage debut in La Traviata in Bologna, Italy. This historic performance was the first time she portrayed Violetta, a role that she would repeat over 600 times during her career including landmark performances in London (1953), Vienna (1956), Paris (1957), and New York (1966). One significant performance happened in 1956 at La Scala in Milan when she starred in Handel’s Giulio Cesare alongside Italian bass vocalist Nicola Rossi-Lemini, whom she would later marry. Her repertoire covered different periods and languages, which led to great international success, where she performed in countries such as the USA, France, Russia, and the UK. Alongside her acclaimed performing career, she released a series of well-received recordings including her first two albums released on Decca Records: Operatic Recital (1956) and Puccini Arias (1958). She would go on to record complete operas including Verdi’s Otello and Alzira, Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona, Puccini’s Tosca, Pizetti’s Murder in the Cathedral, and Menotti’s The Consul. Virginia Zeani retired from performing in 1983 but began to teach singing lessons at the University of Bloomington, Indiana with her husband. Virginia Zeani died in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 20, 2023, at the age of 97.

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