Aprile Millo is one of the great spinto sopranos of the late 20^th century.

Born in New York City to two singers on April 14, 1958, she became interested in music from an early age. She was invited to the San Diego Opera Center as an apprentice upon graduating from highly school and it was here that she started her vocal career in earnest.

She would win a number of awards in Europe during this stage. Upon leaving San Diego Opera, she sang her first major Verdi role, that of “Aida,” at the Utah Opera in 1980. Then she moved to New York to audition for the major opera companies in New York, earning a contract with the New York City Opera and getting an offer to be part of the Met Opera’s Young Artist Program.

In 1982, she made her European debut at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, followed by her first appearance at the Teatro alla Scala. Her New York debut came with the Opera Orchestra of New York and in 1984, she made her Met debut in “Simon Boccanegra.”

She made her first recording in 1986 and would go on to make several others of Verdi operas with the Met Opera. She would go on to perform all around the world, winning the Richard Tucker Award in 1985 and Maria Callas Foundation Award in 1986. She was also given the Verdi D’Oro in 2018, becoming the 14^th person to receive the award in its 46^th history. She also co-founded the Summer Vocal Program in Bussetto, Italy.

Signature Roles

Millo’s most famous interpretations were in the operas of Verdi, especially that of “Aida,” the role of her Utah and Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe debuts. But Verdi was the composer of her debuts at the Met, La Scala, Carnegie Hall, and the Bavarian State Opera.

But Millo herself noted in an interview with OperaWire that she could never pick a favored Verdi opera: “It’s like asking which child a mother loves more. But I would say, definitely ‘Aida,’ which brought me so much success, and ‘Il Trovatore.’ Or perhaps ‘Luisa Miller’ and ‘Un Ballo [in Maschera],’ or ‘Don Carlo.’ It is so hard for me. They all are beats of my heart.

Read More on Millo

OperaWire has actually done a pair of interviews with the soprano.

Q &A on Occasion of NY Return

Q&A on Occasion of London Debut

Review of her NY Recital

Watch and Listen

Here is an album of Verdi arias by the famed soprano.

And an album featuring highlights from her famed recording of “Aida.”