Katiuscia Maria Stella "Katia" Ricciarelli (; born 16 January 1946) is an Italian soprano and actress.
Early life and career
Born in Rovigo, Veneto, to a very poor family, Ricciarelli struggled during her younger years. She studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice, won several vocal competitions in 1968, and made her professional debut as Mimì in Puccini's La bohème in Mantua in 1969. She appeared as Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore in Parma in 1970. In the following year, she won RAI's Voci Verdiane award. Between 1972 and 1975, engagements followed in the major European and American opera houses, including Lyric Opera of Chicago (1972), La Scala in Milan (1973), Royal Opera House in London (1974), and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1975. In 1981, she began a decade-long association with the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, thus broadening her repertoire of Rossini's operas.
Beside her many opera performances, Ricciarelli also appeared as Desdemona in Franco Zeffirelli's film version of Verdi's Otello in 1986, alongside Plácido Domingo. In 1991, she founded the Accademia Lirica di Katia Ricciarelli, and, between 2003 and 2005, she was artistic director of the annual summer Macerata Opera festival. In 2005, she won the best actress prize Nastro d'Argento, awarded by the Italian film journalists, for her role in Pupi Avati's La seconda notte di nozze.
In 2006, Ricciarelli participated in the reality show La fattoria (Italian version of The Farm) on Canale 5. In 2021–2022, she participated in the reality show Grande Fratello VIP 6 (Big Brother VIP 6), getting evicted after 165 days.
Personal life In 1986, on her 40th birthday, Ricciarelli married Pippo Baudo, a television personality; she filed for divorce upon their separation in the summer of 2004, with the divorce being finalized in 2007.
She turned 80 years old on January 19, 2026. She resides in Bardolino, by lake Garda, Italy.
Discography Puccini: Suor Angelica (Bruno Bartoletti, 1973) (RCA) Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (Gianandrea Gavazzeni, 1973) (RCA) Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Claudio Abbado, 1975) (Kultur DVD) Verdi: I due Foscari (Lamberto Gardelli, 1976) (Philips) Verdi: La battaglia di Legnano (Lamberto Gardelli, 1977) (Philips) Puccini: La bohème (Colin Davis, 1979) (Philips/Decca) Puccini: Tosca (Herbert von Karajan, 1979) (Deutsche Grammophon) Verdi: Luisa Miller (Lorin Maazel, 1979) (Deutsche Grammophon) Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Abbado, 1980) (Deutsche Grammophon) Verdi: Il trovatore (Davis, 1980) (Philips) Verdi: Aida (Abbado, 1981) (Deutsche Grammophon) Puccini: Turandot (as Turandot, Karajan, 1981) (Deutsche Grammophon); (as Liù, Maazel, 1983) (CBS/Sony) Bizet: Carmen (Karajan, 1982) (Deutsche Grammophon) Verdi: Falstaff (Carlo Maria Giulini, 1982) (Deutsche Grammophon) Rossini: La donna del lago (Maurizio Pollini, 1983) (CBS/Sony) Verdi: Don Carlos (Abbado, 1982) (Deutsche Grammophon) Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore (Claudio Scimone, 1984) (Philips) Verdi: Otello (Maazel, 1986) (EMI) Rossini: La gazza ladra (Gelmetti, 1990) (Sony) Bellini: Mass No. 2 in G minor and Giuseppe Geremia's Missa Pro Defunctis 1809 (Douglas Bostock, 1997) (Classico) Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Giuseppe Patanè, directed by Elijah Moshinsky, 16 February 1980, Metropolitan Opera) (Paramount Home Video) Various: The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala (22 October 1983) (Deutsche Grammophon DVD 00440-073-4538, 2009)
Filmography Films YearTitleRoleNotes1975Un ballo in mascheraAmeliaLead actress1986OtelloDesdemonaLead actress2005The Second Wedding NightLiliana VesperoLead actress2008Black and WhiteOlgaSupporting actress2009The Friends at the Margherita CafeTaddeo's motherSupporting actress2013The Chair of HappinessNorma PeccheSupporting actress2016InfernetSaraSupporting actress2022Mancino naturaleMariaSupporting actress
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1982Lucia di LammermoorLuciaTelevision film1984TurandotLiùTelevision film1998Canzoni sotto l'alberoHerself/ PerformerSpecial2001Gian BurrascaMother StoppaniTelevision film2004Don MatteoGiulia BaldeschiEpisode: "Dietro il sipario"2006La FattoriaHerself/ ContestantReality show (season 3) - Evicted Day 812006Ma chi l'avrebbe mai dettoCamillaMiniseries2008CarabinieriMonica GrandiMain role (season 7); 22 episodes2009Il ritmo della vitaSecretaryTelevision film2009Così fan tutteKatiaSketch comedy show2010Io cantoHerself/ JudgeTalent show (season 1)2010Let's danceHerself/ ContestantTalent show2011–2015Un passo dal cieloAssunta ScottonMain role (seasons 1–3); 39 episodes2012Faccia d'angeloToso's motherTelevision film2013–2014Un matrimonioAunt AmabileMain role; 6 episodes2016Selfie - Le cose cambianoHerself/ MentorReality show (season 1)2020Come una madreElisaEpisode: "Episode 3"2021–2022Grande Fratello VIPHerself/ ContestantReality show (season 6) - Evicted Day 165
References