The Wall Street Journal heralds bass-baritone Mattia Venni as “sensational” for “brilliantly executing the rapid Italian patter and the subtle physical comedy.” In the 2025-26 season and beyond, he returns to his beloved portrayal of Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Amarillo Opera. He also sings Angelotti in Tosca with the Parnassus Society and returns to the Teatro Amintore Galli in Rimini, Italy to sing his first performances of Il Re in Aida. Future engagements include a leading role with Cincinnati Opera, a bel canto role debut in a return to Opera Santa Barbara, and a role and company debut with Dallas Opera. Last season, he made a thrilling role debut as Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Sarasota Opera before joining Santa Fe Opera to cover the same role—whilst singing Antonio. Also at Santa Fe Opera, he sang scenes of the title role of Don Pasquale, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, and Mustafà in L’italiana in Algeri. In addition, he sang Sulpice in La fille du régiment with Opera Santa Barbara and Betto da Signa in Gianni Schicchi at the Teatro Greco Politeama in Lecce and Teatro Sociale di Trento.

His breakout debut came as Crispino in Ricci’s bel canto gem, Crispino e la comare, with Teatro Nuovo and he has returned to the organization for solo recitals presented at the Istituto Italiana di Cultura di New York and Van Vleck House and Gardens in New Jersey. His other performances in Italy also include Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore at the Teatro Amintore Galli and Sulpice in La fille du régiment with the Parnassus Society.

Mr. Venni holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of California-Los Angeles at which he sang Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Polyphemus in Acis and Galatea, Mr. Presto in Les mammelles des Tirésias, and Don Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro. As a guest artist, he sang Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte at Azusa Pacific University and Mars in Orphée aux Enfers at Pasadena City College.

He is a decorated winner of numerous prizes in his native Italy, including at the competitions Città di Bellano in Lago Como (Public Award), Arte in Canto in Terramo (Winner and recipient of the Luciano d Pasquale Award and Public Award), Jole de Maria in Rome (Winner and recipient of the Public Award), and Città di Genova (Winner and recipient of the Giuseppe Taddei Award). He has also won the Concerto Competition at Pasadena City College and was the second place winner of the Lynn Reinecke-Horton Award, also in Pasadena, California.

Prior to his shift in career to opera, Mr. Venni worked as a camera operator in the film and television industry in Paris and Los Angeles and holds a degree in Regia e Produzione (Film, Television, and Digital Media) from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan.

“Mattia Venni was a sensational Crispino — his handsome bass-baritone and capacity for self-parody allowed him to evolve from the melodramatic sobs of an almost-suicide scene to the complacent patter of success.”
—The New York Times

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