SARA MINGARDO, one of the authentic contralto rarest voices in the current music scenario, was born in Venice and studied at the Venice Conservatory with Franco Ghitti.

After standing out in numerous national and international contests, in 1987 she made her first appearance in the role of Fidalma in the "Matrimonio segreto" by Cimarosa and in the main role in the "Cenerentola" by Rossini. She has regularly been invited to some of the most important Italian music institutions.

She was also invited to perform to Salzburg Festival, Glyndeboume, Osterklang Klangbogen, Vienna Festival, Beaune, Montreaux-Vevey, Aix-en-Provence, Montpellier, Bregenz, Dresden, and Schwetzingen.

She regularly cooperates with great orchestra directors such as Claudio Abbado, Ivor Bolton, Riccardo Chailly, Myung Whun-Chung, Colin Davis, John Eliot Gardiner, Riccardo Muti, Roger Norrington, Trevor Pinnock, Christophe Rousset, Jordi Savall, Peter Schreier, Jeffrey Tate and with the main international orchestras, such as Berliner Philarmoniker, Monteverdi Choir Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, Les Musiciens du Luvre, and Les Talens Lyriques.

With a fondness for works by Gluck, Monteverdi, Händel and Vivaldi, her opera repertoire includes the greatest works by Rossini and Verdi as well.

She successfully performed in the Médée (Neris) by Cherubini at Châtelet of Paris, Ariodante (Polinesso) by Händel at Liceu of Barcelona, Sonnambula (Teresa) in Lyon, Orfeo by Monteverdi with Rinaldo Alessandrini, and La Vergine dei dolori by A. Scarlatti in Brussels.

For the very first time, she performed in the Signor Goldoni by Luca Mosca at Fenice of Venice (libretto by Gianluigi Melega), Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini with Michele Campanella for the Senate of the Italian Republic, in the occasion of the Christmas concert, Rome, December 2006.

In May, 2007 she performed, for the first time, the Wesendonck Lieder by Wagner, in a tour with the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart and Roger Norrington.

In November, 2007 she performed the Stabat Mater by Pergolesi with Claudio Abbado and the Orchestra Mozart in Bologna. In 2010, she plays the role of Andronico, in Tamerlano by Georg Friedrich Händel, at Royal Opera House of London.

In 2012, she performs in Farnace, with Vivica Genaux, at Concertgebouw.

Sara Mingardo's wide discography includes recording with Decca L'Oiseau-Lyre, Aliavox, Opus 111, Archiv, Philips and DGG. In 2001 she won a Grammy for Les Troyens by Berlioz, recorded with Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra.

With Aci, Galatea and Polifemo by Händel, directed by Emmanuelle Haim (Virgin Classic), she won the Gramophone Award 2003 and the Diapason d'Or 2003 for her performance in Olimpiade by Vivaldi with Rinaldo Alessandrini (Opus 111).