Born in Naples, Mr. Abete studied at the Conservatorio di Musica Domenico
Cimarosa in Avellino under the guidance of Maestro Pasquale Tizzani,
specializing with Luciana Serra, Renato Bruson and Lella Cuberli.
His first debuts saw him in the role of Conte D'Almaviva in Il
Barbiere di Siviglia in Pescara and Tirana and in the role of Don
Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni (Europa musica circuit). He
subsequently performed the role of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at
the Teatro Marrucino in Chieti and at the Opera Theatre in Craiova,
Verdi's Requiem conducted by G. Gelmetti, Tosca at the
National Opera in Iasi, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with "I
Pomeriggi Musicali" in Milan, Puccini's Messa di Gloria at the
Teatro Filarmonico in Verona.
Raffaele Abete is winner at the Atena opera Festival (first absolute
prize), at the "Etta e Paolo Limiti" Competition in Milan (first absolute
prize) and at the "Ottavio Ziino"; International Singing Contest (second
prize and audience prize).
In 2015, live on Rai 1, he also won the prize "Una voce per l'Arena"
established by the Fondazione Arena di Verona, which gave him the
opportunity to debut in the role of Ismaele in Nabucco. In the
same year he made his debut at the Teatro "G. Donizetti" in Bergamo in the
role of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor and also debuted the role
of Rodolfo in La Bohème at the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona and at
the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago. He returned at the Arena di Verona
in the show "Lo spettacolo sta per iniziare" interpreting a scene from
Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (broadcasted on Canale5) and later
starred in La Traviata in the role of Alfredo.
In 2016 he made his American debut at the New York City Opera as
Cavaradossi in Tosca with great success, then returning for Italo
Montemezzi's L'amore dei tre Re (Avito). Hee then starred as Duca
di Mantova in Rigoletto at the Opera Grand Rapids, Toledo Opera,
Opera Carolina, Filarmonico in Verona, Festival Verdi di Parma in Busseto,
Teatro Greco Antico in Taormina, Chisinau Opera House, Teatro Comunale di
Bologna and in Parma in a new production for the Teatro Regio di Parma.
Recent engagements include several productions of Madama Butterfly
in the role of Pinkerton: Teatro Bellini in Catania, Teatro Filarmonico in
Verona, Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago,
again at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna (concert form), at the Staatsoper
in Vienna and finally at the Copenhagen Opera House. He was the
protagonist of the concert 'Nuove Voci Alla Scala' for the exceptional
reopening of the Teatro Alla Scala 2020.
In 2021, he debuted the role of Roberto in Puccini's Le Villi at
the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari and sang the role of Rodolfo in La
Bohème and Verdi's Requiem at the National Opera of
Tirana. In 2022 he worked in two productions with director Hugo De Ana:
the first at the G. Verdi Theatre in Trieste in the role of Cavaradossi in
Tosca and the second at the National Opera in Zagreb in the role
of Alfredo in a new production of La Traviata. At the Festival
della Valle d'Itria, he premiered N. Campogrande's Opera Italiana in
the role of Soldini.
More recently he was engaged in Stiffelio in Dijon; Tosca
in Jesi; Madama Butterfly in Essen and Lecce, Le Villi in
Mainz and Turin; and La Traviata in Massy, Rigoletto in Cardiff
and on tour with the Welsh National Opera; and a Gala concert in Mosca.
December 2024