Cecilia Bartoli

Although Cecilia Bartoli initially had no interest in a career as a singer, her mother—also an opera singer—recognized her daughter's talent and convinced her to take singing lessons. At the age of 17, the Italian began studying at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, one of the world's oldest music institutions. Two years later, she came in second place in an Italian television talent show and attracted a great deal of attention. She finally made her debut at the age of 19 as Rosina in Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome. With a vocal range of over two and a half octaves, her repertoire includes the works of many composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Gioacchino Rossini.