Ferruccio Furlanetto

“The great Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto owns the role of the isolated, ruthless Philip II” (New York Times, 2015)

“The stage was dominated by Ferruccio Furlanetto, the rich-toned Filippo. He brooded, boomed and sighed with royal authority, shied from no range extreme and exerted sympathy even in passages of cruelty and chaos.” (Financial Times, 2015)

Hailed as one of the greatest basses of our time Ferruccio Furlanetto is one of the most sought-after singers in the world. The critics praise him for his vast range, thundering vocal power, and excellent acting ability.

His amazing international career began with the role of King Philip II in Verdi’s Don Carlo at the Salzburg Easter Festival under the baton of Herbert von Karajan in 1986. In the same year he debuted at the Salzburg Summer Festival with the role of Figaro in Mozart’s opera. His debuts on the leading opera stages happened earlier: Scala in 1979, the Metropolitan Opera in 1980, and the Vienna State Opera in 1985.

He has collaborated with some leading orchestras and conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini, Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein, Lorin Maazel, Claudio Abbado, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Daniel Barenboim, Georges Prêtre, James Levine, Semyon Bychkov, Daniele Gatti, Riccardo Muti, Mariss Jansons, and Vladimir Jurowski. He performs in concerts and recitals at the world’s leading concert halls, in the repertory ranging from Verdi’s Requiem to Russian songs and Schubert’s Winterreise.

He feels perfectly at home at the major opera houses all over the world. His most recent appearances include Philip II in Don Carlo seen at the Met, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, and the Teatro alla Scala. “Great Ferruccio Furlanetto had set a high standard for this role”, - as the New York Times stated. Called “today's reigning Fiesco” by the Chicago Tribune, he has appeared in this role lately at the Vienna State Opera, the Met, the Berlin State Opera, the Royal Opera House, the Teatro Real, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and at the Teatro alla Scala. He performed Silva in Ernani recently at the Bologna Teatro Communale, and also during the company tour to Japan and as well as at the Met. He successfully sang Boris Godunov at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Vienna State Opera, the Teatro Massimo Palermo, the Salle Pleiel in Paris, and during the concert tour with L'Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse under the lead of Tugan Sokhiev in France and Spain, “embodying humanity and poignant dramatic power, showing the agony of tormented tsar defeated by the remorse” (La Monde). Ferruccio Furlanetto is the only Western artist who has performed the part of Boris Godunov at the two major historical stages in Russia – at the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theaters. He also performed Thomas Becket in Pizzetti’s Assassinio nella Cattedrale recently at La Scala and at the San Diego Opera (it was the first representation of the opera in America). “Bass Ferruccio Furlanetto didn’t just sing the role of Thomas Becket… He inhabited it” (U-T San Diego). And of course Massenet’s Don Quichotte one of the most significant parts of the singer's repertory: “Fortunately, Furlanetto is Don Quixote” (U-T San Diego). He brought this noble character to the San Diego Opera, the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, the Mariinsky Theater, and the Canadian Opera in Toronto. Other roles performed in recent years include: Attila at the San Francisco Opera, Padre Guardiano, Procida, and Mustafa (L’Italiana in Algeri) at the Vienna State Opera; Procida at the Teatro Real Madrid; Mefistofele (Boito) at the Teatro Massimo and Méphistophélès (Gounod) at the Met; Gremin in Eugene Onegin at the Vienna State Opera and at the Mariinsky Theater; Oroveso in Norma opposite Edita Gruberova at the Salzburg Summer Festival.

At the concert stage he recently sang Verdi's Requiem at the BBC Proms with Semyon Bychkov and in Japan with Nikola Luisotti. He also performed Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death and Mozart Arias with Concertgebouw and Mariss Jansons. As a recitalist he was heard at the Teatro alla Scala, Berlin Philharmonia, Palais Garnier, Mariinsky Concert Hall, Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Charintishe Sommer Festival, Grand Theater of Geneva, and the Vienna State Opera.

The whole 2014-15 season was dominated by the role of Philip II in Don Carlo, highly praised by the press all over the world. During this season alone he performed it at the Sofia Opera for the season opener, which commemorated Boris Christoff’s 100th anniversary, at the Vienna State Opera, and at the Metropolitan Opera, at the Mariinsky Theater and under the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House (his debut in Australia) with 9 performances.

Season 2015 - 2016 appearances include Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra at the Vienna State Opera, Berlin State Opera, Teatro Liceo in Barcelona and at the Met; Gremin in Eugene Onegin at the Vienna State Opera, and the Royal Opera House; Banco in Macbeth at the Vienna State Opera. Among concert appearances are a two orchestra recitals: Viva Verdi Gala in Toulouse on December 4 and American concert debut - Gala at the San Diego Opera on March 5. Piano solo recitals - at the Vienna State Opera, in Budapest and in Moscow.

Recent CD releases include the highly critically praised Mussorgsky CD release with Valery Gergiev and Mariinsky orchestra for the Mariinsky Label and with Mariss Jansons and Concertgebow for the Mariss Jansons Live, The Radio Recordings 1990-2014. Both include Songs and Dances of Death with Ferruccio Furlanetto. Other important 2015 release is Ferruccio Furlanetto, Wiener Staatsoper - Live Recordings 1997 – 2012 by Orfeo International.

Recent DVD releases include two from the Royal Opera House by EMI: Simon Boccanegra named Disk of the Month by Gramophone, and Verdi’s Don Carlo which won in the DVD Performance category at the Gramophone awards. Simon Boccanegrahas also been released by La Scala and Teatro Massimo.

Ferruccio Furlanetto is an Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations as well as Kammersänger and an Honorary Member of the Vienna State Opera.