Join us on Future Classic Women Awards as host Stefania Passamonte sits down with Francesca Matta, a talented Italian soprano making waves on the British opera scene. Recorded live from a Sardinian beach, this charming conversation explores Francesca’s journey from her roots in Sardinia through the prestigious Conservatorio Palestrina to performing iconic roles across Italy and the UK. Francesca discusses her passion for diving deep into character psychology, from the tragic Mimi in La Bohème to the fiercely independent Adina in L’elisir d’amore, and shares insights into what it means to be an opera singer in the modern world.
The episode delves into how contemporary opera productions are breaking free from elitist stereotypes by performing in unconventional venues—from 700-year-old barns to airplane hangars and tents in the Cotswolds. Francesca emphasizes that these intimate settings attract new audiences who discover that opera is far more relevant and emotionally powerful than they ever imagined. She also addresses the evolving nature of opera staging, discussing when modern costume choices and interpretations enhance storytelling versus when they simply shock for shock’s sake.
Featuring stunning vocal performances including Puccini’s ‘Mi chiamo Mimi’ and Verdi’s ‘Caro nome,’ this episode celebrates the timeless power of opera to tell deeply human stories about love, betrayal, disease, and death—themes that resonate just as profoundly today as they did centuries ago.
Main Topics
Francesca Matta is an accomplished Italian soprano trained at Conservatorio Palestrina who has performed major roles across Italy and the UK
Opera is breaking out of traditional venues and elitist spaces through performances in unconventional locations like barns, hangars, and tents to attract new audiences
Modern audiences discover opera's relevance through emotionally authentic performances that address timeless human experiences like love, betrayal, and mortality
Francesca identifies feminist characters in opera such as Adina from L'elisir d'amore and Carmen, who defy societal expectations and make independent choices
Contemporary opera staging that incorporates modern costumes or interpretations can work effectively when it serves the story and has meaningful purpose
Opera remains a powerful artistic tool for contemporary society to explore complex emotions and human experiences that transcend historical periods
Intimate opera productions bring performers and audiences closer together, creating transformative experiences that challenge preconceived notions about classical music
Full TranscriptSa. Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station, the program ...▼
Sa. Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artist on the classical panorama. Today on future Classic Women Awards, we will be talking to Francesca Matta, an amazing Italian soprano with a growing reputation for championing, you know, the most amazing operas, Italian operas in particular. Francesca grew up in Sardinia. She graduated in opera from the conservator of Palestrina and then she continued her studies with Giusi Devino and Bernadette Manca in Nyssa and over the years she performed in Italy and in uk amazing roles like Gilda and Rigoletto, Mimi, La Boheme, Elisabetta, Maria Stuarta, Contessa Lenozza di Figaro and others. Hello? Hello, Francesca. Hi. Where are you, Francesca? Now I'm actually in Sardinia on holiday, so I'm live from the beach that is making us all very jealous, to be honest. I mean, I have to say this is a nice preparation before I come back to London and sing Lovewell Megan. So I'm very much looking forward to going back to work, but right now I'm working on my tan. I don't think Mimi was very tan, was she? No, not at all, not at all. Actually, La Bome is set at Christmas time, so I will have to conceal any tan line. And poor Mimi, she died of consumption, isn't she? Yes, poor thing. Like, apparently dying on stage is my speciality, but yeah, is it? I mean, which one are your favorite characters to sing? Well, my standard answer is always the next one I'm singing, which is a bit cheeky, but it's actually true. I just fall in love with the characters I'm studying at the moment and I just like to go deep in their psychology and so I just fall in love with them every single time. Amazing, amazing. So if you. Is there any roles that you identify the most apart the fact that they will die and that. Well, not, fortunately, not all of them. I love doing comic roles as well. I don't know, probably the fact that they are so different from me helps in a way because I can just explore those parts of my character. So I'm not 100% me, but still, you know, the desperation, the sadness or the sassiness sometimes. And so, yes, it's very interesting and helped me discover myself every time with every single. Any character that you would say is the most feminist in a way, you know, being talking on a women's radio station, something that you might say represent the most a Modern woman. Well, there are few, I would say probably Adina from Elizirda More is a very feminist character, is very independent. She has her own business and yeah, she makes her own decisions. She doesn't abide by rules that are given them by society. So that's a really positive character that I think is a very feminist one. Probably the most common answer would be Carmen. But yeah, she's a very independent woman as well. So the next project, so it's Mimi, you were saying you're going to sing Bohem. Where is that? So it will be in London, in Ruislip. So it's an opera up close production which I really, really love doing production with when the audience is very, very close to us. And it's going to be in a 700 years old barn, so in a quirky venue as well. So yeah, very, very interesting. I'm really looking forward to that. Okay, so we're going to listen then. One of the most famous aria from Puccini Boem Michiamo no Mimi with Francesca Mat. Virginia, You. Sa. And this was Puccini Mi chiama no Mimi sang by Francesca Matta. We will be back after a short break. WRS women's radio station Voice of Women Worldwide. Sarah's Universal Soul. What does your soul or spirituality mean to you? Welcome to future Classical Woman awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Welcome back. I'm Russ Cain. You're listening to in conversation with on women's radio station. I'm Angie. And I'm Patsy. 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Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing new female artists on the classical Panorama. Today we are talking to Francesca Matta, one of the most amazing Italian soprano on the British Panorama. Francesca, what would you say it means to be an opera singer today? Oh, well, hard question. Sorry, I dropped. Well, it means to be. What I mean is, you know, everybody, the popular audience, they are used to see a singer and they see the pop singer. They might maybe recognize musical singers, musical, you know, from musical and theater. But the opera is still seen as, you know, closed inside the Royal Opera House, for example, although with your company you're now going to perform in the barn. And that's very interesting. Did you actually perform in any other unusual plays that you can recall? Yes, I've performed in many unusual places. Last year, for example, we toured with Regoletto, with Regent's Opera and we sang in a hangar. So yes, the airplane was outside and we were singing inside and yeah, we performed in a tent in the Cotswolds and that one was very challenging because the acoustic, as you can imagine, it wasn't really great. But yeah, no, I performed in many, many different unusual venues. And the fact that are unusual, they kind of attract the audience that is not usually the normal opera audience that, you know, the standard theaters around. So they kind of, they get interested, they come out of curiosity and then they leave saying, oh my God, I've never, I'VE never thought that opera could be so interesting, so amazing. I thought it was like an elitist thing to. But actually I cried. And that's the most amazing feedback you can receive as a performer. Wow. Yes, absolutely. So you may say that still to be an opera singer is quite a modern job. Or it stuck. Oh, definitely, definitely. Of course. Like we need to. Yes. Do you think you still have the power to tell something to the, to the modern audience, for example, through the role? No, no, no, absolutely. I think that a lot of the operas that were written even, you know, in the 19th century and so on, they're still the, the, the plots are still very modern and, And a lot of the stories we represent on stage are still very modern. They're like very modern topics. You know, we talk about love and betrayal and diseases and death and, you know, there's still topics that. In modern times. Yes. We're not, you know, there is no fat lady singing on stage anymore. And we need to fight against that, you know, Stereotype. Stereotype. Yeah, of the. Of the singer. But we still have a lot to say. I think it's opera and music. You know, classical opera is such a powerful tool to transmit, to give like, people, to say to people what, you know about these experiences and these feelings that we. Yeah. That are endless. I mean, they're the same anytime. One question. What do you think about the opera that is when the stage director, for example, is trying to make it more modern by changing the cloth into modern cloth. Yes. Do you like that? Do you think it's appropriate? I don't know. Do you think it still works or. Well, it works in the measure that it has. Sentence. Like, if it has. If the interpretation has a meaning and it's appropriate to the story we're representing, then yes. Then if they're trying to do something just to shock people, then it's really difficult to buy into as. As performer and being. And being convincing. Makes sense. Yeah. Yeah, totally. So what would you like to listen now? What shall we listen to that might like? Is that an off the rules of the things that you recorded that reminds you of maybe one of these performance where you had to perform with modern clothes or that is more modern in the message? Well, I think I had to perform labor in. In the past in modern clothes and, and that works really, really well. But no, out of the other ones that I brought, probably. No, I've only done traditional representations, so probably next one will be Rigoletto. But it wasn't perform like, we did it. We did it. In pre highlights clothes. Okay. Which is not the same age it was written to, but it kind of works really well. Okay, so you're going to sing Gilda. Can you tell us about this area? So Gilda just met the love of her life basically for the first time she talked to him. And in this, in this exact moment, she's so amazed by the fact that she received the first kiss. She sings this amazing area where she's talking about the feelings she's experiencing for the first time. Wonderful. Let's listen to Caronome by Rigoletto sung by Francesca Amata. Sam sa. Paul. Sam. Me. And that was Caronome by Verdi. Rigoletto Opera sung by Francesca Mata. We will be back after a short break. Welcome to women's radio station, the voice of women worldwide. Hungry? An average woman eats about 2 to 3 kilos of lipstick in her lifetime. Women's radio station, we want to hear from you. This is women's radio station. You're listening to Avril Price with Kitchen sink Spirituality. It's Anna Kennedy talking all things autism. And my guest today is Karen Nunn. I listen to women's radio station Women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. I'm Isabelle Manavy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I seen this transform lives. For more information, look on women's radio website. Call me on 07-984-422171. I'm listening. 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Focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@media mattersforwomen.org with over 35 presenters, we have something for everyone on Women's radio station. Women's Radio Station is a not for profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to future classic women awards on Women's radio station. Our guest today is Francesca Matta, one of the most amazing in soprano of the British Panorama. Francesca, what would you say was the most challenging moment in your career? Oh, well, I had few challenging physically. It was when I had to go on stage and I was very ill in Italy singing Il Capello di Paglia di Firenze by Nino Rota. I was really, really ill, but I had to go on stage and it was such a good opportunity for me. I didn't want to miss, so. And I had a really bad laryngitis but I managed to pull myself and sing it emotionally. I had few and possibly when I had to sing La Boheme last time, I was going through my separation from my husband and because the opera itself is about, you know, love and separation was quite tough to not kind of make it too personal. Yeah, yeah. People forget I had. I have. Well, that won't be the case yet. But a friend of mine, she just had a baby and she had to sing Madame a Butterfly. Just every time she arrived at the end when she had to kill herself, she could not cry. You know, she had this strong sense of motherhood and somehow, you know, all these operas, they have some touch of real life and if you're going through that, that's very tough. Yeah, I understand. And so what would you say are the pro and cons of your of this type of career? Well, prose definitely is job to me doesn't feel like a job. It feels like a, like a blessing. Every time I'm on stage, I'm the happiest person on the planet. It. And it's just, it's just incredible because the audience gives the performance a lot and we give back and it's like this amazing exchange of energy that makes me, makes me feel incredible. Just, just amazing. And the cons is that sometimes life gets get in the way. Like especially when we have to, like. Like we're saying a couple of minutes ago, sing when we're ill. And that feels horrible because you can't really do anything because we. We all get, you know, a cold. And for a singer, getting a simple cold is the worst thing ever. So having to cancel a concert or having to cancel a performance is horrible. Having to, like, let down your audience or your cast members. Yeah, it's awful. So if you. If you had to say something to a young student who wants to start a career as a opera singer or a young yourself, what would be your piece of advice of experience to pass on? Well, always make sure you know your role inside out so that if you. In that day, you're not 100%, which is often the case because we are human beings and sometimes we don't sleep well, and even that can affect our singing or we receive a bad news or everything. But if you are on top of your game, then your body can do its job and you can still perform really well and not be affected by the fact that you're. You're having some of your securities taken away from you. Yeah, totally agree. And if you. And so talking about the roles, do you have any dream role? Oh, definitely. Well, I have several, and a lot of them are from Rossini, which is absolutely one of my favorite composers, but I haven't had the chance to sing them yet. And one of my dream roles is Semiramide, and it's a role that I've been taking with me in the hope of being able to perform it since I graduated. So that was actually one of my graduation areas. So you want to play Beragozinghier from Semiramide of Rossini? What's that about? Oh, so Semiramide is one of Rossini's serious opera, so. But it's a very difficult story set in Babylon, so very ancient time. And Semiramide is the queen of Babylon. And in this area, she's waiting for the man she loves to return to the city. But in this moment, she doesn't know that the man she's in love with is actually her son. Done. Oh, wow. Okay. All right, let's listen to Rossini. Belrajo losingira ra. Sam. Sa. And this was beragioluzinghier from Semiramide of Rossini sung by Francesca Matta. We will be back after a short break. WRS women's radio station, Voice of women Worldwide news, music, science, fashion, comedy, and much more on women's radio station. 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Our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, fat mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more, head to womensradiostation.com or theaproject.co.uk women's radio station is a not for profit community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative alive. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help. Welcome back to future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station. Our guest today is Francesca Mata, an amazing soap from Italy. Francesca, now it's time for the odd questions. So do you what was the Funniest moment that you can think of in your career on stage. Funniest moment or off stage? Okay, funniest moment on stage probably. I was singing Elizabeth in Maria Stoarda and Elizabeth receives two letters during the entire oper and I was always receiving these two pieces of paper on stage. They were completely empty. So I went to the repertiture and I said to him, please, please, please. Like I'm Italian. We used to joke on stage. So you must write something on the papers, on the letters. Yes. One was a love letter and the other one was supposed to be the death sentence of Mary that Elizabeth had to. Yeah. Sign. And he started writing the funniest things and the rudest things ever. So during performances, every time I was opening and I didn't know what I was going to find and everything, like keeping a straight face and very serious attitude because I was Elizabeth, the first Queen of England. That was quite funny. Oh yes, absolutely. I didn't know about these things. I know sometimes they whisperer that they whis they reminded the singer on stage about the words and they whisper the wrong words, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, that as well. But especially in Italy, we love to do like jokes or pranks on stage just to keep everything interesting and to keep everyone on their toes and off stage. Do you have any crazy story like, you know, I don't know, forgetting the shoes or. Oh, I had to do many of them, like having to do like super crazy changes and having to layer the clothes. So I had like trousers under skirts. Or last year for Rigoletto. People thought I actually chopped my hair off in the last act was wearing an amazing super long wig and I have short hair. So I took the wig off when Gilda has to dress up as a boy. And I had few members of the audience coming to me and asking, did you actually chop your hair off during the interval? No. That would be crazy. Yeah, that would be totally crazy. Uh huh. Oh my gosh. Okay. And do you have any superstition or ritual before going on stage? Well, I'm not a superstitious person, although I'm Italian. I'm not. But I actually love to do my own makeup if theaters allow me to. Because for me it's kind of a ritual to change into my character. I see. So it's like a rite of passage for me to change myself into stop being Francesca and starting to be, you know, Dilda or Mimi or Elizabeth or the Countess. Yeah. So that for me is something that I love to do when. And they allow Me to do that. Okay. Well, shall we? Now listen then to another aria of yours. Chi Ilsonio di Doretta della Rondine from Rondine Opera by Puccini. Can you tell us about this aria? So this is a really beautiful area by Puccini, which is one of my favorite composers. And in this area, Magda, which is the character is telling a story. So it's like a fairy tale. She's telling a story about this girl, Doretta, that falls in love with a student. And it's like a very simple. She's telling about a very simple love story, which is. It's all about love is simple. It doesn't need to be about queens or kings. Even students can love. Fantastic. Okay, so let's listen to it. Sa. Sam satan sam. Ra. And this was Puccini. Chi Libelsonio di Toretta from the opera La Rondine Francesca. Do you listen to any other type of music? Oh, yeah, plenty. Yeah. No. Yes, plenty of, like, people. When. When people ask me, so you're. You're not, you know, classical musician. What do you listen to? I said, well, I like all good music, actually. When I was a teenager, I was a massive heavy metal fan. Whoa, heavy metal. Okay. Yeah, I know. Crazy. I know. But yeah, I, I love all sorts of. So like, I'm, I'm. I'm a massive jazz fan. Or rock. Yeah, good, good music. I love all good music. I know. I agree with you. Me, I was. I. I'm a big fan of hip hop. Really? The rhythm. Whenever I hear hip hop with the rhythm, I cannot not move. You know, I don't know. Piano is better. Percussionist, instrument. But the rhythm just drive me. It's amazing. Absolutely. The black epop in particular. Oh, I love it so much. It's all about the groove. And do you have any funny, funny hobby or. I don't know, something to relax and free your mind? Well, I love baking. I absolutely love baking. I'm actually celiac, so I have to eat gluten free. And I started. So when I was diagnosed, I was absolutely crying all the time because I couldn't have anything to eat. So I started baking for myself and I discovered I love it. And I love, like doing really complicated patisserie stuff. So sometimes I indulge my. My friends with. With a lot of like Italian patisserie, gluten free treats. Love cooking for other people. I'm so Italian to. Don't break the stereotype. I agree with. No, no, not at all. I do this, like stereotypes. Let me feed people. Actually I want to do another show. We will see if we can do it but it's about baking and music so you will be one of my first guests so that's for sure. Oh well, it was lovely, you know, to chat with you. A big thanks to Francesca for the beautiful music also that you sang for us today. So if you have any question you would like to ask to our guest or nomination for our Future Classic Women awards, please email presentersmensradiostations.com or tweet us@womensradiostn. A big thanks again to Francesca. Thanks. Thank you. You've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station live every day at 10am and 10pm London. Time to listen again or catch up on our previous programs. You can head to my presenter page page. Stefania Passamonte Future Classic Women Awards on womensradiostation.com thank you for listening. Sa. Sam. Sa. WRS Women's Radio Station Voice of Women Worldwide. This is Amy Liu, Voice of China at Women's Radio Station. Welcome to Future Classical Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. After a long day, I like to sit in my bath with a glass of wine and listen to Women's Radio. Kamruss Kate, you're listening to in conversation with on Women's Radio Station. To see what other programs we have on Women's Radio Station, head to our website womensradiostation.com Are you struggling with money? Turn to us as a national charity helping people struggling to make ends meet. Job loss, illness or bereavement can cause a real financial crisis. We give practical help to get people back on track. Whether you're thinking of having a baby, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship or just unsure what benefits you may be entitled to, we can help. Visit turntous.org.uk do you need mediation? We are the A project charity. We provide convict resolution and community engagement services. We our services include community mediation for neighbour disputes, family mediation for separating couples, special education needs for parents, carers and their children and young adults, as well as workplace mediation and restorative services. To find out more head to womensradiostation.com or theaproject.co.uk Mirai B Ltd. We are a virtual PA consultancy. We provide remote administrative services. Our offering is diverse. We manage your calendar, we update your client database, we take care of your property in France and in London. We also offer bookkeeping and translation services. Would you like to know more? Please call 0778-684-8998 for further information, Mirae B Ltd. Making the life of the Business Owner Successful. I'm Isabelle Manavy, an executive coach. Do you want to change a negative into a positive? We can do this by coaching you to rewire your brain using simple visualization techniques. In 20 years of practice, I've seen this transform lives. For more information, look on Women's Radio website. Call me on 079-8442. I'm listening. Women's Radio Station will give a voice to your brand. For more information, visit womensradiostation.com Women's radio station is a not for profit, community interest company. Supporting women is our passion. We're currently welcoming donations to help towards our running costs to keep this important initiative live. To donate, simply head to our website. Every little will help.
