Tenor Gioacchino Lauro Li Vigni, a native of Brooklyn, was raised in Palermo, Italy. Mr. Li Vigni's father, the late Salvatore Lauro Li Vigni, was Gioacchino's first mentor and himself a celebrated tenor.
Mr. Li Vigni made his Metropolitan Opera debut Januray 23, 2004 as Krushschev in the opera Boris Godunov, this following his previous appearance on the Met stage a few months earlier during the Grand Finals Concert for the National Council’s 2003 Met Auditions. Under the direction of Maestro Julius Rudel, Gioacchino sang excerpts from Lucia di Lammermoor and Werther. The New York Times characterized Gioacchino as “a professional… not far from the big time… furiously checked by the audience as favorite.” Bernard Holland auspiciously stated in the review: “Mr. Lauro Li Vigni manfully wrings every possible virtue from the voice given him, and his career will continue.”
His New York City engagements continued as he covered the title role in Opera Orchestra of New York’s Il Corsaro in March 2004 under the direction of Eve Queler.
Gioacchino returned to The Met during the 2004-05 season covering in Nabucco, Der Rosenkavalier, and Samson et Dalila, and will return in 2005-6 in Ariadne auf Naxos, Lohengrin and Parsifal.
Gioacchino's 2003 performance of Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor was considered by many one of the year's major operatic events in Philadelphia. Critics characterized his performance as vibrant, full of rage and despair, and suave. Gioacchino will expand his Donizettian repertoire by taking on Maria Stuarda for Marseille Opera in June 2005.
Gioacchino will perform his first French opera with Gounod's Faust in Sao Paolo, Brazil this May alongside the Marguerite of Leontina Vaduva.
Gioacchino performed Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Oper Frankurt where his rendition of Almaviva was characterized by critics as “charming, vocally agile, and playfully capable of change.” He took on Almaviva for Frankfurt Opera's Beijing tour as well. He also appeared in Frankfurt as Ramiro in Cenerentola of which critics said he “gives a radiating clear Don Ramiro... very much worth seeing.”
In January 2003 Gioacchino was awarded the “Third Prize” by the Jury of the 2003 Francisco Vinas International Voice Competition. He was also awarded the “Best Finalist” award by popular vote of the public of the Gran Teatro Liceu. In 2002 Gioacchino was 1st place winner of The Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Opera Competition, 4th place winner in the Worldwide Bellini Festival Competition in Sicily, 3rd place in the Competizione Voci Donizettiane, 2nd place in the Oreste Giargiari Belcanto Competition, and finalist in the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation Competition.
