NEW YORK (AP) - April 15, 2010
The 32-year-old from New Jersey made his Metropolitan Opera debut on March 29 as Alfredo in Verdi's "La Traviata." He is to make his Royal Opera debut in July in the same role and his Paris Opera debut in September as Pinkerton in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly."
He has appeared as Rodolfo in Puccini's "Lo Boheme" at Milan's Teatro alla Scala, Pinkerton at the San Francisco Opera and Alfredo at the Salzburg Festival in Austria. Last year, he was selected the Dallas Opera's debut artist of the year.
Valenti receives a $30,000 prize.
Past winners include Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, David Daniels, Joyce DiDonato, Renee Fleming, Matthew Polenzani and Deborah Voigt.
