Manuela Custer - a biograhy:

Mezzo-soprano Manuela Custer, born in Novara, received her diploma from the "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory in Turin under the guidance of Elio Battaglia. She made her debut in 1985 as ENRICO in Rossini's Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra with Lella Cuberli, Rockwell Blake, and Daniela Dessì, conducted by Gabriele Ferro.

Manuela Custers roles since her debut has included a.o. CHERUBINO in Mozarts Le nozze di Figaro under Gustav Kuhn, ENFANT in Ravel's opera L'Enfant et les sortilèges under Marcello Viotti, Les Dialogues des Carmelites by Poulenc at the Rome Opera, ANNA KENNEDY in Donizettis Maria Stuarda at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona with Katia Ricciarelli (under whose guidance she made her debut as ROSINA in Rossinis Il barbiere di Siviglia in Mantova). LISETTA in Haydn's Il mondo della luna in Potsdam, MERCEDES in Bizets Carmen at the Arena di Verona, DORABELLA in Mozarts Così fan tutte, conducted by Salvatore Accardo. TERESA in Bellinis La Sonnambula at Trieste's Sala Tripkovic with Sumi Jo. CLOTHILDE in Bellinis Norma at the Arena di Verona, directed by Werner Herzog. NIKLAUSSE in Offenbachs Les Contes d'Hoffmann, conducted by Richard Bonynge. FILIPIEVNA in Tjajkovskis Eugene Onegin, EMILIA in Verdis Otello. A PAGE in Strauss´ Salome, THE MADRIGAL SINGER in Puccinis Manon Lescaut, ROMEO in Bellinis I Capuleti e i Montecchi, BEPPE in Mascagnis L'amico Fritz, GRISELDA in Vivaldi's opera of the same name. FIDALMA in Cimarosas Il matrimonio segreto. ANASTASIO in Vivaldi's Giustino conducted by Estevan Velardi and recorded by Bongiovanni, RAMISE in Handel's Arminio conducted by Alan Curtis and recorded by Vergin.

Manuela Custer gained international recognition in 1997 at the Istanbul Festival, as ORFEO in Bertoni's opera of the same name, conducted by and directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi. It was followed by her interpretation of the virtuoso role of IRENE in Vivaldi's Bajazet which led to an invitation from Fabio Biondi to New York and Boston for the US premiere of Pergolesi's oratorio La morte di San Giuseppe. Other major solist parts in oratorios have included Rossinis Petite Messe Solennelle, Vivaldi's Juditha Triumphans conducted by Claudio Scimone, repeated in 1998 at the Salzburg Festival, with Delores Ziegler. Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in 1998 at the Bregenzer Festpiele, Mozart's Requiem and Verdi's Requiem.

In 2001 Manuela Custer sang ROSINA to Juan Diego Flores Almaviva at the Arena di Verona. At the Festival of Martina Franca she performed the title role of Donizetti's La Zingara in the first modern revival of this opera.

In 2002 she recorded the role of ENRICO in Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra for Opera Rara with Jennifer Larmore and Bruce Ford, which she repeated in a concert given at the Banqueting House in London for the Queen's Mothers Golden Jubilee. At this time she also recorded numbers for the album "La Rimembranza" for Opera Rara.

In January 2003 she made her debut as SIEBEL in Faust at Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, and in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Teatro la Fenice under Marcello Viotti. She recorded numbers for the album "La Partenza" in the Il Salotto series for Opera Rara. Later that year she sang La Passione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo by Salieri in Lisbon. In August 2003 she sang EMMA in Rossinis Zelmira, at the Edinburgh International Festival. This spectacular performance was recorded by Opera Rara for release in spring 2004. In november 2003 she made her debut as ANGELINA in La Cenerentola at Teatro Piccinni in Bari.

In february 2004 she sang ROMEO in I Capuleti e i Montecchi at Teatro dell'Opera in Rome.
In December 2004 Manuela Custer will be ANGELINA in La Cenerentola at the Teatro Regio in Torino.