Cecilia Bartoli, Cavaliere OMRI (Italian: ; born 4 June 1966) is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best known for her interpretations of the music of Bellini, Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known music from the Baroque and Classical period. She is known for having the versatility to sing both soprano and mezzo roles.
Bartoli is considered a coloratura mezzo-soprano with an unusual timbre. According to Nicholas Wroe, her distinctive voice is known for its "fully developed sumptuousness of the lower register, the vibrancy of the middle range...the top was limpid and powerful." She is one of the most popular (and one of the top-selling) opera singers of recent years.
Bartoli was born in Rome. Her parents, Silvana Bazzoni and Pietro Angelo Bartoli, were both professional singers and gave her her first music lessons. Her first public performance was at age nine as the shepherd boy in Tosca. Bartoli later studied at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome. At the age of 19, she made her singing debut and appeared on the Italian television show Fantastico. She did not win the competition but was asked to sing with Paris Opera for a homage concert for Maria Callas.