Training

Born in Zurich, Cinzia Zanovello gained her first stage experience in the Zurich Opera’s children’s choir. After completing her preparatory studies at the Winterthur Conservatoire with David Thorner, she moved to Vienna in 2015 to study at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna with Sylvia Greenberg and later with Michail Lanskoi.

 

The soprano has attended numerous masterclasses, including those given by Mariella Devia, KS Adrian Eröd, KS Angelika Kirchschlager, Jane Mengedoht, Claudia Visca, Roberta Invernizzi, Ana Maria Labin and Ian Bostridge.

 

Opera​

The 2026/2027 season will see her make several important debuts, such as Ottilie in "Im Weissen Rössl" at the Vereinigte Bühnen Bozen, the title role in "Giuditta" by Franz Lehár at the Stadttheater Bad Hall, the lead role of Juno in "Der Göttergatte" at the Lehár Festival in Bad Ischl, Laura in the world premiere of “Die App” by Tullio Zanovello at the Oper Gaswerk in Zurich, and Lisa in "Das Land des Lächlns" at the Operettenbühne Vaduz.

 

Zanovello’s career began in 2022 at the Volksoper Wien in Benjamin Britten’s "Death in Venice", and shortly afterwards she was engaged there as Valencienne in Franz Lehár’s "The Merry Widow". She went on to perform this role at the Beijing National Opera and at the Wertinger Festival in Germany.

Further engagements took the soprano to the Vienna State Opera in the lead role of the world premiere of "Elektrische Fische", to the Kammeroper of the Musik-Theater an der Wien in the project "Von Null bis Oper" with violinist and comedian Aleksey Igudesman, back to the Volksoper as the Sandman and the Dewman in "Hansel and Gretel", and at the Bern City Theatre, where she sang the role of Gabrielle in Offenbach’s "La vie parisienne".

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Prior to that, she appeared as Susanna in "Le Nozze di Figaro", as Angèle in "Der Opernball", and as Electress Marie in *Der Vogelhändler* at the 2021 Klang Bad Hall Festival. The 2021 Festival of Young Voices took her to venues including the Wiesbaden State Theatre and the Stadtcasino Basel.

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Notable collaborations include work with Gerrit Prießnitz, Sir David McVicar, Alexander Joel, Ruth Brauer-Kvam, Christoph Huber, Tobias Wögerer, Wolfgang Nägele, Kenza Koutchoukali, Ben Glassberg, Hannah Eisendle, Amelie Niermeyer, Thomas Rösner and others.

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​Song and Concert​

​Song and Concert

Cinzia Zanovello is in demand internationally for concerts featuring a varied repertoire. She performed at the Lehár Festival in Bad Ischl in the gala concert “Kristalle der Operette”, where, under the baton of conductor Matthias Achleitner, she sang the Vilja song and Dubarry’s aria.

She also performed major arias such as “Casta diva” at the Zermatt Unplugged Festival, as well as pop duets with the well-known chansonnier Stephan Eicher and the conductor Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer. She is frequently engaged for various oratorios and masses, for example as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem under the baton of Andreas Reize.

As part of the Mozart Orchestra, the soprano also performs regularly at the Vienna Musikverein, as well as in the Strauss Dinner Show at the Mirage and the Imperial Gala Concert at Palais Auersperg in Vienna.

In 2026, she is set to perform J. Haydn’s "Creation" in Sils Maria, under the baton of Patric Ricklin.

 

Cinzia Zanovello has devoted herself to the art of the art song, giving recitals in Zurich, Vienna and Seoul: for example, with the Italian programme ‘Serenata’ with pianist Greta Benini, the ‘Alma and Gustav Mahler Recital’ with Gunwoo Yoo, and the programme dedicated to Alma Mahler at the Ehrbar Saal in Vienna with Erin Won. She also performed songs by Wilhelm Grosz at the Schönberg Centre under the baton of Andreas Stöhr and sang the world premiere of the orchestrated song cycle ‘Keimlinge’ by Tullio Zanovello.

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Awards​

• 2025 Operetta Prize and Audience Prize at the Aria d’Oro International Singing Competition in Merano, Italy.

• 2025 First Prize at the Lehár Operetta Competition Bad Ischl in Vienna.​

• 2020 Encouragement Prize and an invitation to Japan to compete in the final of the 21st Osaka International Music Competition in the art song category.

• 2019 Fidelio Interpretation Prize at the ORF RadioKulturhaus in Vienna for the programme on Alma Mahler-Werfel, performed as a duo with Gunwoo Yoo.

• 2017 Prize for ‘Best Emerging Talent’ at the Otto Edelmann Competition at the Schönbrunn Palace Theatre.

 

Cinzia Zanovello has received support from several foundations, including the Rita Zimmermann Foundation and the StockART Foundation for Music.

 

 

Furthermore

Her keen interest in directing led to engagements as an assistant director and choreographer, for example at the Tel Aviv Vienna Vocal Connection in 2018.

At the Vienna Philharmonic’s Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy in 2021, Zanovello served as assistant to Wolfgang Gratschmaier and Stephanie Schimmer. As part of the Klang Bad Hall Festival, she made her directing debut as co-director of Carl Zeller’s "Der Vogelhändler".

 

Cinzia Zanovello speaks fluent German, Italian, English, French and Icelandic, and has a basic knowledge of Russian. She also received training in ballet, jazz dance and piano from an early age.​​

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