BIO
Italian- American soprano Donata Cucinotta has been recognized for her versatile and powerful performances on opera, musical theater, and concert stages. Career highlights include performances with Michael Tilson Thomas as the Soprano Soloist in Grace with the Louisville Orchestra, a Lincoln Center debut as the Soprano Soloist of Mario Jazzetti’s The Life and the Faith…. with the Queens Symphony Orchestra, and multiple performances with Jack Everly and the Indianapolis Pops where Tom Alvarez of the Indy Star noted her “jaw-dropping solo during ‘O Holy Night.’ [Her] performance was one of the most breathtaking I have seen on any stage anywhere, anytime.”
Known for her interpretations of Mozart leading ladies, Cucinotta has sung Donna Elvira Don Giovanni, Contessa Almaviva Le nozze di Figaro, Fiordiligi Così fan tutte, Sifare in Mitridate (cover) and both Erste and Zweite Dame Die Zauberflöte with companies across the United States including Boston Lyric Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Ithaca, Opera Tampa, Baltimore Concert Opera, and Morningside Opera. Additional operatic roles include Mimì in La bohème with Reclamation Opera and First Coast Opera, Aunt Norris in Johnathan Dove’s Mansfield Park and Musetta in La bohème both with Indianapolis Opera, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, and Josephine in HMS Pinafore at Knoxville Opera, Evangeline in Evangeline with the Longfellow Chorus, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha at Asheville Lyric Opera, Girl in the world premiere of Rachel Peters’s Wild Beasts of the Bungalow with Center for Contemporary Opera, Candice in the world premiere of Stay, by John Glover and Kelley Rourke with On Site Opera, Nedda in Pagliacci with Opera in the Heights, where D.L Groover of the Houston Press noted:
“Cucinotta’s fiery soprano opened up with a blistering top, square on, raising goose bumps in the best possible way.”
She is a frequent concert soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra where she has appeared in From Vienna to Broadway, Yuletide Celebration, and Spotlight on ISO Musicians concerts featuring highlights from Tosca and La Bohème. She has also been the headliner with the New Mexico Philharmonic under the baton of Jason Altieri for their Love concert presenting highlights from La Wally and La Bohème.
She has been heard as the soprano soloist in: Mahler’s 3rd Symphony, Mozart Mass in C, Bach’s Magnificat, Bach’s Die Elenden Sollen Essen, Dvorak Requiem, Vaughn Williams Dona Nobis Pacem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Dave Brubeck’s To Hope and Handel’s Messiah.
Ms. Cucinotta is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Finalist, a Finalist for the American Prize in Art song, semi- finalist in the Art Song Preservation Society of New York Competition, semi-finalist in the American Prize art song competition, semi-finalist in the San Antonio Opera Competition, Audience Choice Award and Honorable Mention at the Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year Competition, and a finalist at the Classical Singer Competition. She sang many different roles as a young artist at Shreveport Opera, Opera Colorado and Opera New Jersey.