About

The Belcanto Academy was born in September 2013 at the Poleeni Theater in Pieksàmàki in Finland from an idea of ​​Francesca Micarelli, Soprano, Violinist, Voice Teacher and Vocologist.  The project has been a great success and strong synergies are created with Italy, up to the realization of the opera Nozze di Figaro in April 2016 with two
international casts.
The Bel Canto Academy achieved continued success with its courses at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, in Italy in the summer of 2017, in Levico Terme, where the first “International Opera Festival” dedicated to Maria Callas is held with the support of the Municipal Administration. 

Thus began a close collaboration with the City of Levico Terme and the first two years (2018-2019) of the Academy were led by Francesca Micarelli and Massimo Lambertini (Pianist and conductor) along with numerous internationally renowned Instructors.

History of the Bel Canto Academy

2017

The Municipality of Levico, under the decisive push of the Managing Director for Culture Dr. Guido Orsingher and the Mayor Dr. Michele Sartori, therefore proposes, for the first time, the International Opera Festival, a week full of masterclasses, seminars and concerts; for opera singing masterclasses. 25 artists were selected to participate in the program. The Festival was a great success, and in particular the very successful initiative of the masterclass established the Academy
based in Levico Terme.

Teachers of the 2017 Summer Masterclasses:
Francesca Micarelli / Vocal technique
Massimo Lambertini / Repertoire for Singers and Pianists
Giovanna Lomazzi / Opera Interpretation
Gioacchino Gitto / Opera Concert
Luca Fantarella / Acting for Opera
Marco Podda / Phoniatrics and Vocal Hygiene


2018

With the support of the Municipality of Levico Terme and the decisive financial contribution also from the Autonomous Province of Trento, the first
call for tenders of the nascent Academy Opera Studio Città di Levico Terme is released, aimed at selecting 3 types of artists: solo singers,
opera singers for the training of artists of the choir, pianists for the training of master collaborators. 

In addition, the “International Guest Students” project was initiated . The auditions took place in January and February 2018 and 22 solo singers from all over the world were selected, 3 singers with choral experience and 5 pianists.
Francesca Micarelli is artistic director, creator of the project and permanent teacher of vocal technique, and Massimo Lambertini director
general, organizational coordinator and permanent teacher of repertoire and teacher collaborator training.

Guest teachers of 2018:
Orietta Calcinoni / phoniatrist and otolaryngologist, Teatro alla Scala of Milan
Franco Silvestri / agent, Lirica International Opera Management of Verona
Paolo Equisetto / physiotherapist
Carlo Antonio de Lucia / director
Marco Podda / speech therapist, Verdi Theater of Trieste
Paolo Mandelli / Opera agent
Giovanna Lomazzi / casting manager, Aslico
William Matteuzzi / Tenor and singing teacher
Federico Busarello / personal trainer and kinesiologist
Giacomo Fornari / musicologist, director of the Bolzano Conservatory

Many of the students of 2018 then successfully embarked on the theatrical activity; in the final concert diplomas
are awarded and the best students are distinguished with a diploma of merit with mention: Davide Benigno, tenor; Giuliana Di Stefano, soprano;
Beatrice Amato, mezzo-soprano; Mirjam Gruber, soprano; Ezio Salvaterra, countertenor.
In addition to the six monthly internships, the Second Opera Festival dedicated to the well-known tenor William Matteuzzi is also held, with an extraordinary internship of the teachers and students of the Academy, seminars and concerts by the students.
The Academy Logo is created, and in August 2018, the art director and general manager travelled to New York to select new voices.

2018

The second academic year includes 3 addresses: that of solo singer, of pianists and collaborators and, instead of singers with an
opera choir address, vocal qualifications, with 3 places reserved for residents in the Province of Trento. On 25 February 2018, a
commission made up of 8 teachers admits 20 artists, 16 solo singers and 4 pianists. The “
International guest students” project remains active .
The Academy is enriched with new teachers, including M ° William Matteuzzi as main guest teacher, and internships: 7 are scheduled, plus one in the Third Opera Festival; the October internship takes place in Greece in the town of Selianitika at the Hellenikon Idyllion artistic center, and, thanks to the collaboration of M ° Andreas Drekis, the students present hold two magnificent concerts on the island of Lefkada and in the city of Aygio.
During the year several concerts are held and during the Opera Festival, this year entitled “The Mozart Effect” to seal the link between science and art that is the basis of the philosophy of the Belcanto Academy, a collaboration with L ‘
Alpen Classica Festival: the best singers perform in Bressanone and Levico with the Festival orchestra.

Teachers of the examining commission:
William Matteuzzi (President), Francesca Micarelli, Massimo Lambertini, Giovanna Lomazzi, Carlo Grante (established pianist and teacher at the conservatory of Bolzano), Antonella Costa and Elisabetta Vegetti (both pianists and teachers at the conservatory of Trento) , Giacomo Fornari (musicologist and director of the Bolzano conservatory)

Francesca Micarelli, artistic director, creator of the project and permanent teacher of vocal technique and vocology; Massimo Lambertini
general manager, organizational coordinator and permanent teacher of repertoire and teacher collaborator training.

Guest teachers:
William Matteuzzi / tenor and singing teacher, principal guest teacher
Giovanna Lomazzi / casting manager Aslico
Carlo Grante / renowned pianist and teacher, Conservatory of Bolzano
Richard Sigmund / singer, teacher and conductor
Federico Busarello / personal trainer and kinesiologist
Cesare Scarton / director and teacher of scenic art, Conservatory of
Santa Cecilia in Rome
Giacomo Fornari / musicologist, director of the conservatory of Bolzano
Lucio Parmeggiani / neuropsychiatrist, Civil Hospital of Bolzano
Franco Silvestri / agent, Lirica International Opera Management
Orietta Calcinoni / phonologist, Teatro alla Scala from Milan
Antonella Costa / piano teacher, Conservatory of Trento
Salvatore la Rosa / teacher of Music Theory and
Choral Exercises , Conservatory of Trento
Elisa Perini / Osteopath