Mariam Battistelli

Mariam Battistelli (born 6 August ) is an Ethiopian-born Italian operatic soprano and actress.

Early life and education Battistelli was left upon her birth at a Christian orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, being named by the nuns after Mary, mother of Jesus. After her parents' divorce, she was raised by her mother Laura, who worked as an educator for children with special needs. and her mother brought her, aged 8, to a performance of Mozart's at the in Mantua. She joined the children's choir of , where she went on to study Western concert flute and, aged 18, five years later. During her studies, she took part in several international opera singing contests in her country. to join the Vienna State Opera, Austria, where she made her debut as Musetta in Puccini's La bohème, Gretel in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute. and has performed at venues which include the Vienna State Opera, , Glyndebourne, the , the and the , as well as in Modena, Piacenza In 2024, she starred in the musical film , directed by and is based on a stage version from 2017 at Royal Opera House Muscat, also starring Battistelli; in both, she plays the role of a modern Eurydice. She has also worked on opera and operatic pop events and recordings alongside Andrea Bocelli.

Battistelli has cited inspiration from sopranos Shirley Verrett, Jessye Norman, Maria Callas, Reri Grist, Kathleen Battle, Mirella Freni and Ileana Cotrubaș.

Personal life and other ventures Battistelli resides in Vienna, Austria. She is also a former American football player and a former athlete, having practiced competitively throughout her youth before she began her singing training. She has been a testimonial for fashion brands Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Armani and Pomellato.

Repertoire

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2010 Page Supporting role 2025 The Opera! Eurydice Lead role