Last week, soprano Jessica Nuccio was removed from a production of “La Traviata” by the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma during a dress rehearsal for the Verdi opera.

According to original reports, the soprano opted to cover throughout the rehearsal because it was only 36 hours before the first performance on Jan. 16. However, that was not pleasant for the artistic director Alessio Vlad and as a result, the soprano “had a tantrum” that led to the cancellation of the entire rehearsal.

Now Vlad is speaking out in the Italian press, noting that he asked her politely to sing out as it was not a closed rehearsal and there was an audience in the theater. He also noted that it was causing an issue with the orchestra as they could not hear her since she was simply reciting words and not even singing.

According to Vlad, the first cellist asked the conductor what was going on and as a result, Nuccio decided to interrupt the rehearsal, “yelling at the orchestra in an arrogant and disrespectful way.” The conductor decided to suspend the rehearsal.”

In the report, Vlad noted that she stormed the dressing room and was very disrespectful to him, “violently attacking him” and forcing the theater to call the ambulance and the police.

The artistic director also noted that it was essential that Nuccio sing full voice as she had been given a notes on her performance that could only be corrected if she sang full voice.

Nuccio was originally scheduled to sing on Jan. 16, 23 and 25. She was replaced by Francesca Dotto and Valentina Varriale.

OperaWire has reached out to Nuccio’s management and press for comment and will follow up with any response or updates that we might receive.