Today we’d like to introduce you to Caterina Rossini.
Hi Caterina , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a native of Rome, Italy, where I was raised and trained in the classical performing arts. During my music education and subsequent professional career I studied with eminent artists, conductors, directors and composers. Each in his own way, they contributed to my artistic experience and growth. In 2001 the City of Rome, in collaboration with Rome Opera House, awarded me the prize “Il Fauno d’Argento” for my contribution to the arts, launching my professional career.
I moved to NYC in 2003 to sing and deepen my academic research with great teachers of the American music tradition. I auditioned for one of NYC’s longest lasting opera companies, the Dicapo Opera Theatre and immediately joined the company. I joined the season and tour of the East Coast with La Traviata and Madama Butterfly.
During my early years I was exposed to classical theater and classical music thanks to my parents,
This pushed me towards two life changing directions, and towards two major figures involved in my artistic life:
former Actor Studio teacher and Lee Strasberg assistant Dominique De Fazio, and international voice teacher power duo, Francesco and Liliana Recchia. All of them resided in Rome and trained me in my early, formative years.
I trained as an actor at the Studio De Fazio in Rome for four years before moving to NYC. The work as an actor in traditional and poetic theater, combined with the dramatically powerful, solid Italian singing school, prepared me for the demanding and naturally selective classical theater and classical music world.
Over the years I have performed in various notable venues, including the 76th Street Theatre in NYC (home of Dicapo Opera), the Metropolitan Opera, the Rose Theatre at Lincoln Center, the Opera Company of Brooklyn, the Smith Center in Las Vegas, the Rome Opera House and the concert halls inside the Barberini Palace in Rome.
After years spent traveling, moving and performing, I settled in Dallas, TX.
Today I’m adding one more adventure … bringing to Dallas years of vocal and music research by opening the newest epicenter for the performing the arts in this great city.
The well-rounded performing arts academy will feature a complex music and voice program designed to achieve extension, agility and stronger emission, preparing the student for both the modern music and operatic world demands.
Everything is combined with special acting courses of sensorial and poetic work from the Stanislavskij and Strasberg methods combined, helping the student with the tasking challenge of the physical and emotional work on stage.
While giving back to the community, I will continue to perform nationwide with new and exciting roles and repertoire.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Certainly not a smooth road. The first challenges had to do with my having been fresh off the plane, with a lot to learn about life in NYC, especially that of an artist. I had to learn how to survive the long, cold winters, which unions to join, how to find auditions, coaches and so on. All the while having to stay vocally in shape, continue the work on my repertory and never neglect my “coloratura” roles. These struggles remain true today, as daily life in itself is often at odds with the priorities of a classical artist. There are always new roles to learn, new music to prepare, new challenging passages to sing, in a cycle that keeps renewing itself ad infinitum. That said, I have loved every second of this life and there hasn’t been a time where I haven’t felt welcomed or supported by the artistic community I am a part of. I’ve been blessed in this respect and I’ll forever be grateful.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a mezzosoprano and have a vast operatic repertoire that I put together over the course of decades. I sing Bel Canto, Verismo and sacred music. I’m most proud of the fact that despite countless difficulties, I never neglected my voice. I always nurtured it and always dedicated the time and energy to improving it, whether it was its extension, the coloratura, the legato or something else that required attention.
My background is also in the classical theatre. I was trained in the tradition. My teacher is a lifetime member of the Actor Studio and the former assistant to legendary American master, Lee Strasberg. I studied acting under his guidance for four years in my native city of Rome while also studying voice. I then moved to NYC. I continue to attend my teacher’s online program for professional artists as a way to continue to improve my creative abilities.
This combination is perhaps what sets me apart from other artists in my field.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m a big fan of the work of Dr Joe Dispenza. His talks and books help me do my best in life. My favorite podcast is the Alan Watts one. His recorded talks are a joy to listen to. I find infinite wisdom and beauty in his work.
