Biography

Cynthia Nitrini Stary, an American born mezzo-soprano, comes from a rich tradition of opera. She was born into an Italian musical family. Her grandfather performed regularly at La Scala before migrating to America.

Ms. Nitrini Stary has performed numerous principal operatic roles including Mercedes in Carmen with Ms. Denise Graves at the Hollywood Bowl and Mercedes in Carmen with Ms. Susana Guzman at the Bear Valley Music Festival. She has also sung Dorabella in Così fan tutte, The Third Lady in Die Zauberflote, La Zia Principessa in Sour Angelica, Madam Flora in The Medium, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Flora in La traviata and Ma in The Tenderland.

She has sung under the baton of Maestros Bramwel Tovey, Essa Pekka Solonen, and Carter Nice, and has sung with Russell Watson and the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl, Wynton Marsalis and the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl and Barry Manilow at the Kodak Theater.

Ms. Nitrini Stary has also sung the Gilbert and Sullivan mezzo repertoire including Katisha, Ruth and Buttercup. She has performed with many opera companies including Baltimore Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Townsend Opera, The Celestial Opera Company, Independent Opera Company, Center Stage Opera, Hawkmore Lyric Opera, Landmark Opera, Opera a la Carte, Opera Pasadena, Melodia Senica and The Verdi Chorus.

In concert at the Broad Stage, Ms. Nitrini has performed musical excerpts from Werther. Other concert performances include excerpts from Martha, Falstaff, Dido and Aeneas, Le nozzi di Figaro, La Cenerentola, Candid, L'italiana in Algeri and Il travatore.

Previous to singing opera, Ms. Nitrini Stary performed the American Musical Theater repertoire and was a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet Company.

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Cynthia Nitrini Stary with Richard Sheldon

Founder of Opera a la Carte

a Gilbert and Sullivan Repertoire Company

Press Releases

Cynthia Nitrini Stary played Ruth with a good heart and loyalty to Frederic – even if it was for her own motives. She represented the archetypical spurned mezzo/contralto of opera, who knows all and conveys Deep, Dark Secrets (as do Erda in Wagner's Ring Cycle, Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera, Azucena in Il Trovatore, Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore), dropping her bombs of information with great timing and delivery.
— Singerpreneur Magazine

Ms. Nitrini Stary sang the role of Maddelena with ease, filling the senses with mahogany and chimes.
— Baltimore Sun

Cynthia Nitrini Stary, who played the role of Dorabella, not only filled the theater with her lovely voice, but she possesses a rare comedic ability. In Mozart's Cosí fan tutti the singer must be able to balance comic timing and exaggerated comic performances with heavy musical demands. Ms. Stary blended it all together, creating a memorable performance.
— The Sacramento Bee

Cynthia Nitrini Stary

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