Elena Zilio

Italian mezzo-soprano Elena Zilio made her Royal Opera debut in 2007 as Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and has since returned to sing Zita, Monitress (Suor Angelica), Madelon (Andrea Chénier), Mamma Lucia (Cavalleria rusticana) and Grandmother Buryja (Jenufa)

Zilio was born in Bolzano and studied piano and singing in Bolzano, Rome and Siena. Her early appearances included Sofia (Il Signor Bruschino) for Spoleto Festival and Pierotto (Linda di Chamounix) for La Scala, Milan. She has since sung for opera houses including Teatro Regio, Turin, Teatro San Carlo, Naples, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Rome Opera, Teatro Real, Madrid, Liceu, Barcelona, Paris Opéra, Bavarian State Opera, Zürich Opera, for the Edinburgh, Rossini Opera, Spoleto and Bregenz festivals and the Maggio Musicale, Florence. Her current repertory also includes Nurse (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Ericlea (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria), Marchesa (La figlia del reggimento), Filipyevna (Eugene Onegin), Mistress Quickly (Falstaff), Mamma Lucia, Frugola (Il tabarro), Zita, Mrs Grose (The Turn of the Screw) and Mrs Sedley (Peter Grimes). 

Zilio’s recordings include Pergolesi’s Il flaminio for Fonit Cetra and Il trittico under Antonio Pappano for EMI.