What is Mirella Freni?
{{Infobox person | name = Mirella Freni | image = Mirella Freni 1970.jpg | caption = Freni in 1970 | birth_name = Mirella Fregni | birth_date = {{birth date|1935|2|27|df=yes}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|2|9|1935|2|27|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Modena]], Italy | death_place = Modena, Italy | occupation = Operatic [[soprano]] | awards = {{plainlist| * [[Cavaliere di Gran Croce]] * [[Légion d'honneur]] }} }}'''Mirella Freni''' (27 February 1935 &ndash; 9 February 2020) was an [[Italians|Italian]] [[soprano]], one of the leading lyric sopranos of her era. She had a beautiful and well-schooled voice and a charming stage presence. ==Life and career== Born Mirella Fregni, in [[Modena]], [[Italy]], she studied at the [[Bologna]] Music Conservatory with Ettore Campogalliani. She made her debut in her hometown in 1955, as Micaela in ''[[Carmen]]''. That same year, she married [[pianist]] Leone Magiera, with whom she had a daughter, whom she called Micaela. After winning the Viotto vocal competition in 1957, she sang with the [[Netherlands]] Opera, then was invited at the [[Glyndebourne]] Festival, and the [[Royal Opera House|Royal Opera House, Covent Garden]] in 1961. She made her debut at [[La Scala]] in Milan in 1962. Her New York [[Metropolitan Opera]] debut came in 1965, as Mimi in ''[[La bohème]]'', a role she will remain closely associated with throughout her career. She then sang at most of the great operatic centers ot the world, such as [[Paris]], [[Chicago]], [[Salzburg]], etc. She began her career by singing [[soprano|soubrette]] roles, such as [[Le Nozze di Figaro|Susanna]], [[Don Giovanni|Zerlina]], [[L'elisir d'amore|Adina]], [[Falstaff|Nanetta]], etc., and then moved to more lyric roles such as Mimi, [[Faust (opera)|Marguerite]], [[Romeo and Juliet|Juliet]], etc., and eventually more dramatic roles such as [[La traviata|Violetta]], [[Simon Boccanegra|Amelia]], [[Otello (opera)|Desdemona]], [[Madama Butterfly|Cio-Cio-San]], [[Tosca]], [[Médée|Medea]], [[La Wally|Wally]], [[Andrea Chénier