Born in Taranto, she graduated with full marks at «N. Piccinni» Conservatory in Bari under Domenico Colaianni. She graduated with honors at «B. Maderna» Conservatory in Cesena under Roberta Invernizzi, she is specializing in Renaissance and Baroque singing and attending the II level Master of Early Music at «S. Pietro a Majella» Conservatory in Naples under Antonio Florio. She also attended masterclasses with Sonia Prina, Marina De Liso, Margit Legler, Rinaldo Alessandrini. Actually Lucrezia Messa is her vocal coach. She also studied the baroque practice of the sacred music with musicologists Dinko Fabris and Giuseppina Crescenzio musicologists, so called Passioni Barocche Napoletane sponsored by MiBact, the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and Cappella Neapolitana Ensemble.
Appreciated in Opera of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, in particular about Scuola Napoletana, she plays several roles: Serpina in Serva padrona by Pergolesi (Mercadante Theater in Altamura), Clarice in the Astrologi immaginari by Paisiello (Roman Theater in Aosta and Auditorium St. Aurélie in Strasbourg, Le Parlement de Musique, Martin Gester conductor, Carlo Harmuch director), Serpina in Serva padrona by Paisiello (Orfeo Theater in Taranto, Ensemble Santa Teresa dei Maschi, Sabino Manzo conductor), Ninette in Le retour au village by Duni (Guerrieri Theater – Matera Capital of European Culture 2019), Gloria in Amor Vendicato by Paisiello (Giovanni Paisiello Festival, Mariano Patti conductor), Contessa in La serva onorata by Piccinni (Piccinni Festival in Bari 2015), Una Villanella in Nina, o sia la pazza per amore by Paisiello (MuDi Taranto -Opera Giocosa di Savona, Giovanni Di Stefano conductor, Stefania Panighini director), Selene in Didone abbandonata by Duni with Antonio Giovannini as Enea (MUSMA, Festival Duni di Matera, Antonella Rondinone director), Melia in Apollo et Hyacinthus by Mozart (San Domenico Museum in Forlì, Ensemble I Musici Malatestiani, Gabriele Raspanti conductor), Sirena in La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola di Alcina by Francesca Caccini (Teatro Palladium in Rome, Elena Sartori conductor), 1St Woman, 1St Witch and Spirit in Dido and Aeneas by Purcell with Mariagrazia Schiavo and Raffaele Pe (Ravello Festival 2020, Cappella Neapolitana, Antonio Florio conductor).
She is performing an intense concert activity dedicated in particular to the rediscovery of the unpublished Baroque music with world premiers: Cantate e Serenate by Giovanni Cesare Netti, critical edition by Giovanni Tribuzio (La Sambuca Lyncea Ensemble, Luigi Trivisano harpsichord); Concerti spirituali a 2, 3 e 5 voci by Alessandro Melani, critical edition by Antonio Frigé (Associazione Alessandro Scarlatti in Naples featuring the National Archaeological Museum MANN); Jan Batista Runcher e il Mottetto tardobarocco (Festival di Musica Sacra XLVIII Edition, Ensemble Arco Antiqua, Guido Trebo conductor); Il mito di Didone – musiche inedite di Sarro, Traetta, Latilla, Paisiello (Opera Giocosa Theater featuring Savona Symphony Orchestra, Voxonus Ensemble, Maurizio Cadossi violin conductor); Cantate napoletane di Sei e Settecento – musiche inedite di Scarlatti, Fago, Rubino e anonimi napoletani (Sicut Sagittae Napoli, artistic direction by Antonio Florio); I maestri del Conservatorio di Napoli negli anni di Ferdinando Vandeneyenden (Gallerie d’Italia at Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano, Naples); Isouard, a Composer from Malta to Paris (unpublished music by Isouard, Grétry, Méhul, Sarti, Piccinni for the Arts Council Malta-Europe); Cantata per la Transalazione del sangue di S. Gennaro by Paisiello (San Carlo Theater Baroque Ensemble, Dario Candela fortepiano and conduction); Cantata-Oratorio Mosè in Egitto by Paisiello (playing Mosè role for Giovanni Paisiello Festival 2019); Turcherie Barocche e Baroccherie Pugliesi (Duo Barocco Piccinni for ReMAOP).
She has also performed important Baroque and Classical repertoire including: Aminta e Fillide HWV 83 by Handel conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini (in the role of Aminta); Festino nella sera del Giovedì Grasso avanti cena by Banchieri; with Florilegium Vocis and Sabino Manzo conductor; Oster-Oratorium BWV 249, Christ lag in Todes Banden BWV 4, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit BWV 106, Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten BWV 202 and Wer sich selbst erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden BWV 47 by Bach; Gloria RV 589, Dixit Dominus RV 595, Beatus Vir RV 598 and Magnificat RV 610 by Vivaldi; Stabat Mater by Pergolesi; Salve Regina by Leonardo Leo; Dixit Dominus HWV 232 by Händel; Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannem by Ciprian De Rore with Civica Scuola di Musica «Claudio Abbado» at Castello Sforzesco in Milan; Barbara Strozzi: Cantate e Lamenti with Michele Visaggi on harpsichord and Sofia Ruffino on viola da gamba; La caduta de’ Decemviri by Alessandro Scarlatti (in the role of Valeria); Per tua vaga beltade by Stradella; Missa Brevis KV 275 by Mozart; Te Deum, Missa Defunctorum and Messe en pastorale pour le Premiere Consul de Saint Claud by Paisiello; Le Ultime Sette Parole di nostro Signore sulla croce by Mercadante; Via Crucis by Liszt; Requiem by Rutter; Requiem by Faurè.
She took part as a guest in important international festivals such as: Ravello Festival 2020, Innsbruck Barock Festspiele 2017 (Universität Mozarteum), Victoria International Arts Festival XIX edition (Malta), Festival di Musica Sacra XLVIII edition (Trento), Voxonus Festival 2018 (Savona), Giovanni Paisiello Festival XVII edition (Taranto), Lezioni di Storia Festival 2019 (Naples), Festival Oriente-Occidente 2018 (Bari), Barocco Festival Leonardo Leo XVII edition (San Vito dei Normanni), Festival Duni XIX edition (Matera), Piccinni II Festival edition (Bari), Festival Wanda Landowska IV edition (Ruvo di Puglia), Festival L’ombra illuminata V edition (Bari), Mysterium Festival 2019 (Taranto), Festival L’Occidente nel Labirinto XVI edition (Forlì), Rete Musica Antica Opera Festival 2014 (Regione Puglia featuring MEDIMEX).
Some of her published recordings are: Te Deum in B flat major by Giovanni Paisiello (Choraliter CD 012015), Serva padrona by Giovanni Paisiello (Bongiovanni GB2578-2), Amor vendicato, favola boschereccia in un atto by Giovanni Paisiello (Bongiovanni GB2581 -2).
In 2018 she won 1st Prize at the 2018 National Baroque Music Competition “Premio Orchestra Busoni” in Vinci (Fi), in 2017 she was finalist of the IX edition of the “Principe Francesco Maria Ruspoli” International Baroque Music Competition in Vignanello (Vt ) and in the same year she won 1st Prize, Chamber Music section of the Wanda Landowska Competition in Ruvo di Puglia (Ba).
Valeria La Grotta 