Italian soprano SARA CORTOLEZZIS won the 1st prize “Carlo Bergonzi” and the special prize “Renata Tebaldi” for the best female voice at the 58th Voci Verdiane International Singing Competition in Busseto in 2022. She has also won numerous other competitions, such as the Concorso Cittá di Vigevano in 2019 or the 75th Singing Competition at the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto in 2021.
In the 2024/25 season, Sara performs as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi in Trieste and at the Fondazione Haydn di Bolzano e Trento. She also takes on the role of Mimi in La bohème at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl and portray Amelia in Simon Boccanegra during a UK tour with Leeds Opera North.
Recent projects include important debuts as Leonora (Il trovatore) at Teatro Coccia Novara, Elena (I vespri siciliani) at Teatro Comunale in Bologna, Desdemona (Otello) at Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari. In the season 2023/24 she debuted the title role in Anna Bolena at Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Lucieta in Il campiello at Teatro Filarmonico Verona and Musetta (La boheme) in Puccini Festival Torre del lago.
Sara made her stage debut in 2018 as Violetta in Verdi's La traviata at the Teatro Barbarigo in Padova. This was followed by her debut as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Nuovo G. Menotti in Spoleto and at the Teatro Morlacchi in Perugia. In 2022 she made her debut as Lesbina in La franchezza delle donne by Selitti. Followed by her debut as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto in a production by Henning Brockhaus.
Born in Mestre near Venice, Sara began her vocal studies with Francesco Signor and Rosetta Pizzo and later continued with Lucia Mazzaria, Alessandro Pierfederici and Stefano Gibellato. Since 2019, she has been working with Elisabetta Tandura on both her technique and her interpretation. In addition, Sara has taken part in numerous master classes with Mariella Devia, Marina Comparato, Roberto De Candia, Carmela Remigio and Renato Bruson, among others.