| Madelyn Renée | |
| Birth Name: | Madelyn Renée Levy |
| Birth Date: | December 30, 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Education: | Juilliard School |
| Other Names: | Madelyn Monti |
Madelyn Renée (born Madelyn Renée Levy; December 30, 1955), also known as Madelyn Monti, is an American opera singer and soprano.
Renée was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 30, 1955.[1] [2] She attended the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, Massachusetts, she later attended Cornell University, and then Juilliard School in New York,[3] where she received her bachelor's degree.
Renée made her debut with the San Diego Opera in 1980, singing Mimi in La Bohème opposite Pavarotti, a role she later performed with the tenor at venues such as Boston's Symphony Hall.[4] She sang with Luciano Pavarotti at Madison Square Garden and the Hollywood Bowl, in addition to appearing with the tenor during his 2002-2003 concert tour in the United States.
She has performed in major opera houses worldwide, including the Vienna Staatsoper, the Opéra Nationale, the Opéra Comique in Paris, and Milan's La Scala.[5]
Renée has performed with conductors Sir Georg Solti, Richard Bonynge, James Levine, and Lorin Maazel.
In 1987, she performed at the Chester Music Festival in England.[6]
Renée’s repertoire includes:
In the United States, she performed the role of Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro,[7] the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni,[8] and in Los Angeles where she stood in at the last minute for Joan Sutherland.[9]
Renée appears in Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather III movie, singing and acting in the opera sequences from Cavalleria Rusticana. In Italy, Renée has hosted a weekly television show for Italian audiences on classical music and opera called “Un Tocco di Classica.” Renée has hosted satellite broadcasts that transmit live opera performances to movie theatres throughout Europe.
Renée has taught at the Guildhall and the National Opera Studio in London.
Renée first met the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti while at Juilliard, working as his secretary and receiving lessons from him.[10] Approximately one month after meeting Pavarotti, she moved into his New York residence with him, where she lived for eight years.[11] From 1979 until 1986, she and Pavarotti reportedly enjoyed a "passionate love story."[12]
Renée moved back to Milan after a period of time living outside the city; while in Milan she performed as Madelyn Monti, which is her first husband's last name.
Renée currently resides in Milan.[13]