L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano He gave me the ingredients every artist needs to survive and thrive in this career." Thanks to that foundation- al self-belief, Buratto contin- ued her growth. However, it wasn't until 2010 that her vocal foundation reached its t r u e t u r n i n g p o i n t . U n t i l then, she had relied heavily on her natural instinct and innate talent. "I was living a bit off the income of my nat- u r a l t a l e n t , " s h e s m i l e s . "Though I wanted more. I understood that if I wanted to build something serious and long-lasting, I needed deeper technical mastery." It was then that she connected w i t h h e r c u r r e n t v o c a l teacher. Today, Buratto brings her wealth of international expe- rience to Northern California. H a v i n g p e r f o r m e d a t t h e Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, her arrival in San Francisco marks an exciting first. "I was so excited to come here because it's a city I cial step: arranging a private audition with legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti to get his guidance. "That m e e t i n g w i t h M a e s t r o Pavarotti was very impor- tant," Buratto recalls. "Even though my repertoire began in the lighter lyric category, working with him helped me realize that my journey would extend far beyond those ini- tial roles. I don't say that to diminish light lyric singing at all, but simply because my vocal evolution was destined to lead me toward broader opera roles." Beyond repertoire guid- ance, the experience left a permanent imprint on her psychological approach to performing. "To be honest, those lessons with Maestro Pavarotti didn't teach me technical maturity as much as they taught me mental and psychological strength," she explains. "He shared a pas- s i o n f o r o p e r a , a s t r o n g willpower, and helped me build confidence in myself. had never visited before and a theater I had never sung in," she says. A fan of visual a r t a n d a r c h i t e c t u r e , s h e spends her free moments exploring local neighbor- hoods. "Whenever I work in major capitals, I try to make the most of it. Here, I've been taking pictures of the Victori- an houses, which are wonder- ful." Her initial encounter with the War Memorial Opera House stage left an immedi- ate impression. "Because our early rehearsals were held in an auxiliary building, I hadn't seen the main stage during my first two weeks here," she explains. "When I stepped onto the stage for our first rehearsal, it was a magnifi- c e n t f e e l i n g . T h e s c a l e o f American theaters is always impactful, and the acoustics are wonderful." R e v i s i t i n g t h e r o l e o f Amelia Grimaldi for her local debut allows Buratto to dive deep into one of Verdi's most emotionally complex female h e r o i n e s . T h e c h a r a c t e r g r o w s u p i n i s o l a t i o n , unaware of her true parent- age, driven by a profound yearning to discover where she comes from. "What I love so much about this role is her duet with Simone," Buratto observes. "She meets this man, a stranger, and yet she instantly feels this deep trust. She opens her heart to some- one she's never met before. It shows that, inside her, there is something that compels trust. That emotional instinct moves me deeply every time I perform it." Buratto approaches her performance with the same curiosity from her earliest days. "Maturity and experi- ence certainly make the job e a s i e r t o m a n a g e , " s h e reflects. "The amazement is directly linked to passion. As long as your passion remains intact, the sense of wonder stays the same. Every time you embark on a production, you encounter a different set, a new stage director, and a new orchestra. We are creat- ing music together in real time, and it is never the same twice. In a job like this, it is t r u l y i m p o s s i b l e t o g e t bored." it at all, yet it gave me the core basics I needed." Recognizing her natural vocal gifts, her early music teacher introduced her to a local choir, only for later move into a lyrical choir at an amateur level. It was this same teacher who saw that her talent deserved an audi- tion for the conservatory. "He was really the first per- son who understood that this could become my life's path," Buratto reflects. "Because I was so young, I had no idea what to expect or what lay a h e a d , b u t I t r u s t e d h i s vision and followed that path into the conservatory." Once enrolled, Buratto's potential caught the atten- tion of another instructor who saw something extraor- dinary worth cultivating. Recognizing the quality of her instrument, he put great t h o u g h t i n t o g u i d i n g h e r r e p e r t o i r e a s h e r v o i c e matured. To resolve his ques- tions about her vocal trajec- tory, he decided to take a cru- O n S e p t e m b e r 1 2 , t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o O p e r a w i l l officially open its new season at the War Memorial Opera House with Giuseppe Verdi's master- work, Simon Boccane- gra. At the center of this opening night celebration is Italian soprano Eleonora B u r a t t o , who makes her company debut performing the role of Amelia Grimaldi. For San Francisco audiences, the performance offers an opportunity to experience one of international opera's most celebrated vocalists at the peak of her career. B o r n i n M a n t u a a n d named, in 2022, Cavaliere dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, one of Italy's highest civilian hon- ors, she approaches her work as an artist and as a custodi- an of her homeland's rich culture. "For me, it's a great pride," Buratto shares when reflect- ing on her role as an ambas- sador of Italian opera. "I live it as a duty and a responsibil- ity. Opera was born in Italy, and the majority of the works I bring to life are written in Italian. Because of that ori- gin, I feel a deep obligation to return this art form to the audience with all the respect and love I hold for the music, for the words, and for the libretto. I have to return it intact, delivered with all my devotion." Buratto's initial entry into t h e u n i v e r s e o f c l a s s i c a l music was modest, grounded in community: "My first real c o n t a c t w i t h o p e r a c a m e t h r o u g h a c h o i r , " s h e explains, looking back at the beginnings of her artistic path. "I always possessed a passion for singing, but early on, I had no awareness or knowledge of the professional opera world. All I knew at the time was that I wanted to study music." She began with f u n d a m e n t a l s t u d i e s i n solfège and piano. "The piano wasn't exactly a success for me," she admits with a laugh. "I realized I wasn't suited for Italian soprano Eleonora Buratto makes her San Francisco Opera debut in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra SERENA PERFETTO SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY Italian soprano Eleonora Buratto, who makes her San Francisco Opera debut this season as Amelia Grimaldi in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra (Photo: Dario Acosta)

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