Gianna Galli

Gianna Galli (29 April 1935 – 22 December 2010) was an Italian operatic soprano who had an active international career from the 1950s through the 1970s. She specialized in the lyric soprano repertoire and was particularly known for her portrayals of Puccini heroines.

Born in Modena, Galli began studying singing in her youth. In 1952, at the age of 17, she won the international singing competition in Spoleto. Later that year, she made her professional opera debut at the Teatro Comunale Modena. Her career progressed rapidly, and she was soon heard in major opera houses internationally. She became particularly associated with the operas of Giacomo Puccini, with her signature roles being Mimì in La Bohème, Minnie in La fanciulla del West, and the title roles in Manon Lescaut and Tosca. She made her United States debut in 1958 at the New York City Opera as Mimì.

In 1961 Galli created the role of Catherine in the world premiere of Renzo Rossellini's Uno sguardo dal ponte,which was based on Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. She returned to that theatre in April 1962 to perform the role of Thamar in the premiere of Franco Mannino's La stirpe di Davide. The following June she sang the role of the False Angel in the world premiere of Manuel De Falla's oratorio Atlàntida which was presented in a staged production at La Scala in Milan. Other roles which she created in world premieres were Nicole in Mannino's Il diavolo in giardino (1963, Teatro Massimo) and Slam in Giacomo Manzoni's Atomtod (1965, La Scala).

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