Alice Zeppilli

Alice Zeppilli (28 August 1885 – 14 September 1969) was a French operatic soprano of Italian heritage who had an active international singing career from 1901 to 1930. The pinnacle of her career was in the United States where she enjoyed great popularity between 1906 and 1914; particularly in the cities of Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. She was popular in Monte Carlo where she performed frequently from 1904 to 1919 and later worked as a singing teacher after her retirement from the stage. She made only one recording, a phonograph cylinder for Columbia Records consisting of the Gavotte from Jules Massenet's Manon and Olympia's Doll Aria from Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann.

Early life and education Born in Menton, France, Zeppilli was the daughter of Italian parents. She was a cousin (on her mother's side) of singer Luisa Villani (1884–1961). Alice's father Nicola Zeppilli was an orchestra conductor at the Théâtre du Casino in Monte Carlo. Her father sent her back to his native country of Italy to study opera in Milan with Elettra Callery-Viviani.

Opera career Zepilli made her professional opera debut in Milan at the Teatro Lirico on 25 November 1901 at the age of 16 as Stella in the world premiere of Giacomo Orefice's Chopin. She sang that role again for her debut at La Fenice in 1902. In 1903 she had a major success in Venice as the title heroine in Jules Massenet's Cendrillon. In 1904 she appeared at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo as Gilda in Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto opposite Enrico Caruso as the Duke of Mantua and Roger Bourdin in the title role.

She returned to Monte Carlo periodically during her career, portraying such roles as Inès in Giacomo Meyerbeer's L'Africaine (1905), Violetta in Verdi's La traviata (1910), the title roles in Massenet's Manon (1915) and Puccini's Madama Butterfly (1916), both Thalie and Junon in Jean-Philippe Rameau's Platée (1917), Maria di Spagna in Filippo Marchetti's Ruy Blas (1919), and Nannetta in Verdi's Falstaff (1919) among other roles.

From 1905 until 1907, Zeppilli performed with a touring Italian opera company in Argentina, Egypt, Greece, and Romania.

From 1910 until 1914, Zeppilli was a member of the Chicago Grand Opera Company which not only performed regularly in Chicago but also in Philadelphia. With the company she notably performed the role of Lygie in the United States premieres of Jean Nouguès's Quo vadis in 1911, and created the role of Rosaura in the world premiere of Attilio Parelli's I dispettosi amanti in 1912. In 1913 she married Giuseppe Alberghini, a cellist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

While there she studied singing further with soprano Rose Caron. In 1913 she married Giuseppe Alberghini, first cello of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 1914 she again appeared at the Royal Opera House in London as Nannetta, Susanna, Musetta, and Oscar in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. After her husband's death in 1954, she settled permanently in Pieve di Cento, where she died in 1969. The there is named in her memory.