Eva Mei, daughter of an Italian family of musicians, studied at conservatory “Luigi Cherubini” in Florence. For her interpretation of Konstanze in Mozart’s DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL, she received in 1990 the Caterina-Cavalieri-Price at the international Mozart Competition in Vienna. Shortly after, she debuted with the same role at Vienna State Opera, which marked the beginning of her international career. In the last 2 decades, she appeared in the most important opera houses all over the world.
As refined interpret of the Italian Belcanto as Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti and Verdi, she never left Mozart and she sang almost all interesting soprano leading parts of this composer: She sang, amongst others, Norina/DON PASQUALE at La Scala Milan, Amenide/TANCREDI at La Scala Milan, the Queen of the night/THE MAGIC FLUTE at Royal Opera House Covent Garden London as well as Violetta Valery/LA TRAVIATA at German State Opera Berlin. Eva Mei keeps a strong relationship with the Opera House Zurich, where she was seen as Händel‘s Alcina, as Mozart‘s Donna Anna and as contessa in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, as Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, as Micaëla in Bizet’s CARMEN or as Mathilde in Rossini’s GUILLAUME TELL. In 2012 Eva Mei concurred as Elisa in an performance of Mozart‘s IL RE PASTORE at Salzburg Festival. Two years later, she returned to Salzburg with Rossini’s PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE conducted by Antonio Pappano.
Eva Mei worked with many prestigious conductors as Nicolas Harnoncourt, Claudio Abbado, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Colin Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Lorin Maazel, Franz Welser-Möst, William Christie, Daniele Gatti, Fabio Luisi, Myung-whun Chung, Antonio Pappano and Jonathan Nott.
Besides her operatic career she always was very active in the chamber and symphonic repertoire and appeared in concerts and recitals at major concert stages, such as Vienna Concert Hall, Salle Pleyel Paris or Suntory Hall Tokyo. Furthermore she gives masterclasses in Italy and Japan.
To one of her favourite roles evolved Alice Ford in Verdi’s FALSTAFF, which she sung in concert performances with Bamberg Symphonic Orchestra in Bamberg and at Lucerne Festival, at Teatro Verdi Trieste, at La Scala in Milan under the baton of Daniele Gatti and at Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Recently she sung Contessa/LE NOZZE DI FIGARO at Teatro Regio in Parma and at Teatro Valli in Reggio Emilia. At Montecarlo Opera she was Adalgisa/NORMA followed by Donna Anna/DON GIOVANNI at La Palma Festival. With the Scala Orchestra Milan she sung Beethoven 9th Symphony in Seoul and Shanghai under the baton of Chung Myung-whun. Besides that, she debuted Leonora/ROSMONDA D’INGHILTERRA at Donizetti Festival Bergamo as well as at Maggio Musicale Florence. At Teatro Lirico Cagliari she gave her debut as Oscar/UN BALLO IN MASCHERA.
Latest engagements include a new production of FLEDERMAUS at La Scala Milan conducted by Zubin Metha, as Alice Ford/FALSTAFF she returned to Budapest (Iván Fischer conducting) and as Vitellia/LA CLEMENZA DI TITO she sang at the Palau de les Artes Valencia. Concerts brought her to Toyko and Cagliari. She will return to Tokyo New National Theater to sing Alice Ford/FALSTAFF, followed by a Japan-Tour of LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. Besides that, she will return to La Scala Milan for DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA.
