Acclaimed as one of the greatest singers in the world lyric scene, Michele Pertusi was born in Parma, where he studied piano and singing at the Conservatory “A. Boito”. Then he continued his studies with Arrigo Pola, Carlo Bergonzi and Rodolfo Celletti.

In February 2005 he won the Grammy Award for the Best Opera Recording in the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff, with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis (LSO LIVE). In 1995 he was awarded the “Abbiati International Prize”. His recording of Il turco in Italia conducted by Riccardo Chailly for Decca was awarded the Gramophone Award. He has also been the recipient of the Golden Medal as Cultural Benemeritus by the President of the Italian Republic.

He worked with most of the world leading conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Semyon Bychkov, Riccardo Chailly, Myung-Whun Chung, Sir Colin Davis, Daniele Gatti, Carlo Maria Giulini, Vladimir Jurowski, James Levine, Zubin Metha, Riccardo Muti, Sir Antonio Pappano e Sir Georg Solti, and he trod the boards of such important theatres as Opéra de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper, Covent Garden in London, Teatro alla Scala, Metropolitan New York, Teatro Real de Madrid, Bayerische Staatsoper of Munich, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Monnaie of Brussels, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Since 1998 he has been also a regular guest of Teatro alla Scala, where he performed in several celebrated productions including Le nozze di Figaro (Conte d’Almaviva), Don Giovanni (title role) and Nina, o sia la pazza per amore (Il conte) under the baton of Riccardo Muti, Il turco in Italia (Selim) and La gazza ladra (Gottardo) conducted by Riccardo Chailly, Don Carlo (Filippo II) conducted by Myung-Whun Chung.

Refined interpreter of Rossini’s roles, Michele Pertusi has been a regular guest at Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, where he made his debut in Graham Vick’s new production of Moïse et Pharaon (1997, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski). In the next seasons he was invited back to Pesaro for many productions such as Il viaggio a Reims, Petite Messe Solennelle, Le siège de Corinthe e La gazza Ladra. For his achievements there, he was awarded the “Rossini d’oro” Prize.

His discography includes, among others, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Stabat Mater, Cantata per Pio IX and La Cenerentola conducted by Riccardo Chailly (Decca), Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte conducted by Georg Solti (Decca), Le nozze di Figaro under Zubin Mehta’s baton (Sony), Semiramide and Maometto II (Ricordi), Don Giovanni conducted by Daniel Barenboim (Erato), Il turco in Italia conducted by Riccardo Chailly (Decca), La damnation de Faust and Falstaff conducted by Colin Davis (LSO live).

LATEST PERFORMANCES: Jerusalem (Roger) at Festival Verdi del Teatro Regio di Parma; Don Pasquale (title role) at Wiener Staatsoper; Verdi’s Messa da Requiem at Auditori de Barcelona, conductor Kazushi Ono; Messa D950 by Schubert at Teatro Regio di Torino; La gazza ladra (Gottardo) and Don Carlo (Filippo II) at Teatro alla Scala; Ernani (Silva) at Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse; I puritani (Sir Giorgio) at Opernhaus Zürich, La cenerentola (Alidoro) at Wiener Staatsoper; Norma (Oroveso) at Teatro Real de Madrid; Don Carlo at Festival Verdi del Teatro Regio di Parma (role debut as Filippo II).

FORTHCOMING PROJECTS: Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the London Philarmonic Orchestra; Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo) at ROH Covent Garden London; Don Carlos (Philippe) at Opéra de Lyon; Simon Boccanegra (Jacopo Fiesco) at Teatro Comunale di Bologna; Don Pasquale (title role) in a new production at Opéra National de Paris and in Brussels; Il barbiere di Siviglia (Don Basilio) at Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro; Macbeth (Banco) at Festival Verdi del Teatro Regio di Parma; Luisa Miller (Walter) in Valencia; Maria Stuarda (Giorgio Talbot) at Metropolitan New York.