Diva

Miriam is an Italian soprano.  She was born in Ethiopia and at the young age of 8 months, was adopted by her Italian parents and raised in Italy.  As a young child she became interested in Opera because of her grandmother’s love for the art.  Her family subsequently found she had a talent for singing.  Miriam graduated with honors from the Conservatory Lucio Compiani in Mantua in the Northern Italian region of Lombardy which is noted for the architecture, relaxed atmosphere and a significant role in the history of the Opera.  Ms. Battistelli’s career took off from there.  On July 1st, she will be visiting Toledo to sing both the American and Italian National Anthems at the University of Toledo when the XLII Italian Bowl football game is played at the Glass Stadium.

In 2010 and at a young age, Ms. Battistelli had a role in an Italian TV movie that was headlined by the famous Opera singer Placido Domingo.  By 2013 she was admitted into the prestigious Centre de Perfeccionament “Placido Domingo” in Valencia Spain.  She has since sung at some of the most prestigious Opera houses in the world including Treatro Verdi in Trieste which sits between Venice and Slovenia, with the London Philharmonic at the Royal Festival Hall, in the Opera de Monte Carlo and at Straatsoper Hamburg among many others.

Ms. Battistelli is visiting Toledo as part of a sporting event happening the weekend of July 1 st.  It will be a celebration that we all are invited to attend. This will be the Italian version of our Super Bowl football game.  Yes, they will be playing the American version of football and not soccer. The two top teams from Italy will be playing at the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl and will be globally televised with a string of Italian-themed events happening around town the week leading up to the game.

You may be wondering, what does Ms. Battistelli have in common with American Football?  Well, she played it in Italy.  As a dare between friends, she decided to play flag football one day.  Her love for the game created a yearning for more and she eventually joined a professional women’s American (not Flag) football team in Italy where she played for a few years. Today, Ms. Battistelli lives in Vienna Austria and is managed by a team of talented entertainment managers and is setting her sights on making it to what she deems as the pinnacle of her career – not playing in the Super Bowl but singing in NY City at the Metropolitan Opera House.

We hope you have time to engage in the happenings during the week leading up to the game.  And by all means, you should make it your business to find an opportunity to hear her sing.  Benvenuta Ms. Battistelli!