(Photo: Mattia di Pasquale)

Genoese Soprano Benedetta commenced her international career at the age of just twenty. After pursuing piano and vocal studies in her home city, she is now continuing her training and specialization with esteemed soprano Barbara Frittoli.
A recipient of several awards, and described as a “rising star,” she has achieved much critical acclaim, especially for her Mozart performances.

OperaWire caught up with Benedetta in Rome, where she was performing in Mozart’s “Il Re Pastore” at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.

OperaWire:
Buona sera, Benedetta. Thank you for speaking with OperaWire. How is your debut performance of “Il Re Pastore” going? I believe you have one more show left?

Benedetta Torre:
Buona sera! Yes, we are at our fourth and final performance here in Rome. It’s been a lot of hard, wonderful work. I can definitely feel the tiredness kicking in, but the production has gone really well. We’ve received great reviews and feedback so far.
It’s a fresh and beautiful production, and we’re all young singers who get along so well as a team. The same goes for Maestro Manlio Benzi and Cecilia Ligorio, who is a fantastic director. Oh, I almost forgot! I was so honored to be featured as OperaWire’s “Artist of the Week.” Thank you.

OW:
Ah, yes….I believe the article referred to you as a Mozart specialist. Do you think of yourself as a Mozart specialist?

BT:
(Laughing) I’m a YOUNG Mozart specialist! I feel that in this repertoire, I can really show all my strengths. I try to connect acting and singing in a pure, seamless line. It’s something I learned from studying with Barbara Frittoli, she was mainly a Mozart singer throughout her career and from her, I’ve learned how to express every phrase vocally and convey the right emotions through the acting which is very important to me. I also feel more comfortable in this kind of repertoire, where I can really show these elements come together. It’s also so much fun to perform! In other repertoires, I feel you often have to focus more on either the singing or the acting, but Mozart allows me to blend both the theatrical and lyrical aspects in a way that feels very natural and perfectly balanced.

OW:
Of course, you’ve also sung quite a bit of Puccini, and you have some Verdi in your performance CV. How do they contrast with your Mozart stance?

BT:
I think that with Puccini, the emotions are more direct. With Mozart, you can have fun and feel an instant connection both as a singer and as an audience member. It’s such a wonderful experience to have, but I understand that for the audience, the emotional impact of Puccini might be stronger. The realismo is present in almost all of his operas, and you feel it instantly. With Verdi it’s more metaphoric, you have to translate the emotions through the music which is a very different experience. In Mozart, of course, the language is older, but the meaning is everything. I feel that in Mozart you can truly live what you’re singing, not just with your voice but with your whole body. With Verdi and Puccini, you sometimes have to focus more on the singing. Maybe it’s a technical thing, but with Mozart, I feel freer. It’s not easier, it’s just a different way to live opera but I understand that the audience’s experience can vary depending on the composer.
The big challenge in Mozart is to respect the purity of the vocal line. It’s a real challenge, but when you feel you’re achieving it, it’s incredibly exciting. I love creating something beautiful, not necessarily perfect, but of course, like all artists, I strive for perfection. It’s so satisfying when I feel that my sound is really pure. In Mozart, you have to aim for that. In other repertoires, it might not be as important, you might rely more on emotional intensity or on producing a bigger sound to make an impact. But with Mozart, you have to impress through the text, through your acting, through your relationship with the other characters… and above all, through the purity of the vocal line.

OW:
Well, it’s good that you have fun with Mozart because you’re going to Beijing next, I believe. You’re going to sing Mozart in China!

BT:
Yes, in “Le Nozze di Figaro.” It will be my third time performing in this masterpiece. I first debuted as Susanna in Rome in 2018 and two years later, I sang it at Teatro alla Scala. It was simply unforgettable. I remember, during the overture, standing behind the curtain, waiting for my big moment — trembling, thinking, “I’m here, at La Scala! With Mozart! With ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’! With Susanna!” It was a dream come true.

OW:
And after that, back to Verdi. “Falstaff” I believe?

BT:
Yes, another fun one! Completely different from Mozart and it will also be my debut in the role. Come to think of it, it’s not that different because with Nanetta you still need a very pure voice to achieve all those pianissimi in the duet and aria. So, in a way, it’s not as far from Mozart as it might seem. Of course, we’re talking about Verdi, so we’ll likely have a larger orchestra and a completely different style, but I feel I can bring some of the qualities from Mozart repertoire into Nanetta.

OW:
And what does the future hold for you, do you think? What would you like to sing?

BT:
‘Tosca” is a beautiful opera, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever sing it. Right now, I’m a lyric soprano, but a light lyric soprano, so I’m still seeing how my voice develops. We’ll see what happens in the future. Maybe I’ll be able to explore other Verdi roles – the more lyrical ones, not too spinto or dramatic – like “Otello” or “Simon Boccanegra,” where Verdi calls for a lyric soprano, not necessarily a spinto voice, you know?

OW:
”La Traviata” maybe?

BT:
Who can say… it’s definitely a challenge, but maybe in a few years I’ll be ready.

OW:
Who did you like to listen to you when you were developing as an artist, and who inspired you the most?

BT:
I have many sopranos I admire. It’s probably not very original, but I have to mention Maria Callas, the way she acted, not just with her body but also with her voice, and the way she sang certain phrases was simply special. When she performed scales or chromatic passages, she was flawless, like a violin. That inspires me so much. I also love Renata Tebaldi, the color of her voice is magical, it truly was the “Voice of an Angel.” And Leyla Gencer too, her flexibility is remarkable and her voice moves so effortlessly across the registers. It’s something I really admire. Leontyne Price’s Aida is unforgettable. When she hits that high C… she’s a force of nature, and I mean that in the best possible way, so powerful and impressive. There are others, of course. Renata Scotto is an extraordinary musician: sensitive, intelligent, with impeccable technique and phrasing and an incredible ability to express the spirit of the text and the character. I would have loved to study with her, but now I study with Barbara Frittoli and I love working with her. I chose Barbara because I heard in her voice something unique, a mix of purity and softness, a sound that is never forced. That’s the kind of singing I look up to. I remember asking myself, “What kind of sound do I want?” and she had it. I first heard her Fiordiligi on YouTube, in the famous “Così fan tutte” production with Muti in Vienna, and I immediately recognized that sound: rich, pure and light. She always says you have to blend all techniques. The Italian approach, she tells me, is never about pushing, it’s about staying centered, with sweetness and ease. That really felt like my path. She’s also a wonderful musician and actress and when we work together, I feel I get a complete perspective on singing from musical line to technique to interpretation. We cover it all.

OW:
Toi, toi, toi for your final performance and have a wonderful time in Beijing!

BT:
Thank you so much. I’m really looking forward to it, I’ve never been to China before!