Federica Lombardi, former student of the La Scala Academy course for opera singers, is among the most sought-after sopranos of the young generation, particularly for the great Mozart roles.
Her excellent performances on the major Italian stages earned her the 2019 Abbiati Prize from the Italian Music Critics Association as best singer, and she is now performing solo roles in the world's best theatres.
Federica, can you tell us about your audition for the Academy?
I remember it as if it was yesterday: Toni Gradsack heard me at AsLiCo and asked me if I wanted to audition for the Academy. It was April 2015. It was the first year that I was no longer with my historical Maestro in Rome and it was very exciting to find myself in Milan, with the idea of joining the Academy of La Scala. For every singer, La Scala is the temple of opera and has a very resonant meaning, especially if you are Italian. I always say it was the most exciting one I have ever done. It lasted several days with elimination semi-finals and finals. It was also nice to meet some colleagues like Giovanni Sala or Chiara Tirotta. Once I knew about the positive audition verdict, my life changed: I moved to Milan and in September my adventure began, an intense and fundamental year for me. I often talk about how much it changed me as an artist and how much the Academy's teaching methodology helped me.
For example, we as students were encouraged to listen to other colleagues during lessons, not only sopranos (in my case), but also mids, basses, tenors, and for a young singer in my opinion it is important to see the teachers' corrections, how colleagues react, their approach. Comparing youself with others helps to build a broad awareness of your instrument and what you can improve.
A strength of the Academy in my opinion is that it prepares you to be ready on your own, based only on your own abilities, but at the same time you are very well looked after and have all the help you can get. Two parallel lines that lead you to an optimal path from the point of view of further training.
What is the most unforgettable memory of your time as a student?
Certainly when they proposed me to sing Anna Bolena in La Scala, I was 27 years old. My Maestri supported me in this not easy undertaking, which I accepted with enthusiasm, strong in the support I felt around me. If I had not had the Academy to support me, I do not know if I would have done it.
Then there would be a thousand other memories, especially those shared with my colleagues, with whom we remained very close friends because we shared such strong emotions that bound us indissolubly. The same applies for the Maestri, whom I still see to this day to study, so what you go through at the Academy is a path that will continue forever.
Today you are among the most sought-after sopranos of the new generation, particularly for the great Mozart roles.
How did your life change after the Academy?
It has now been 8 years since i finished the Academy, but to me it seems like only a second! After Anna Bolena I made my debut in La Bohème, again at La Scala, and then I played the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, followed by the MET in 2019, the Staatsoper in Berlin, the year after that Vienna… it was a succession of important debuts that made me realise that the path I was following was the right one. One does not realise what one is experiencing sometimes, it is a mix of sacrifice, commitment and crazy love so intense that it overwhelms you.
Which roles have you loved the most?
To date, the role I have loved and performed the most is the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. It has always been my favourite one because the music is wonderful and I feel comfortable with my voice when I sing it. I really love Mozart's music, but I must say that all the characters I play I have made my own and adored. There has never been a single moment where I have hated a role. I think it is normal, because each time you immerse yourself in the story and you identify with it a lot, sometimes even too much: I've happened to react to situations not like Feferica, but like Desdemona or Mimì would react! You have to be good at sharing real life with stage life.
The roles I dream of playing are definitely all Verdi heroines, and Puccini roles are also on my wish list. At the moment I have a lot of commitments with Mozart until 2026. It must be said that it is also often difficult to find fits to debut certain roles, however I am always flattered and happy to have the opportunity to evaluate new roles and proposals. In this my Academy teachers are often supportive, as I am very self-critical and may think I am not ready for some parts, but they push me and make me realise I can do it. In my opinion, it is fundamental for a singer to have people you trust, who know your voice with all its merits and limitations, and with whom you can discuss the repertoire. You cannot know how a role fits you until you rehearse it, you cannot know how you will hold up to the whole performance, stress or vocal effort. Having someone on your side who knows you is the most valuable thing for me.
What do you think about contemporary opera? Would you be interested in being part of a production that would see you performing new music?
That would be interesting. I know from the experience of some colleagues that it is complex, because it can happen that you get the music still in the works, which means that while you're studying it there can be various changes. What I would be most attracted to would be a scenario where the composer thinks of the music specifically on my voice, so it would be curious to have a work whose writing should be perfect for you... it would definitely be a new experience and I would be happy to try it out.
What does being able to sing represent for you? Would you like to tell us a wish for all future aspiring students of the Course for opera singers?
Singing is my life. I wake up and think about singing, or studying, or vocalising because I have to get that passage that I was rehearsing the night before and I went to sleep thinking about it right. I also really enjoy listening to past and recent recordings, it's a world that engages you and absorbs you all round. Of course that's not all there is to life, but it's a big part of me and I wouldn't have it any other way. It is more than just a job, singing is woven into almost every aspect of my life, some of them not so easy, like costantly having to look after your instrument and making compromises. How much you sleep, what you eat, how much you go out, the voice is delicate and we singers are very much influenced by how we are physically. But other aspects are wonderful: you travel the world, you discover different cultures, you experience emotions that overwhelm you by how surprising and strong they are.
To all the young people who are sending in their applications for the Academy's two-year course, I would advise them to put all their energy into it, to believe in it and to study hard, always delving deeper.
