Francesca Bartolo – a Maltese mezzo-soprano currently studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London – has recently undergone training with the Manhattan Opera Studio in New York, USA, during which time she performed two performances at Carnegie Hall.

Bartolo will graduate with a Bachelor of Music (Hons) next month. Her studies were supported by the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, The Malta Arts Scholarship Unit and Trinity Laban Bursaries.

“I was born into a family of dancers and was introduced to music at the tender age of three through dance and spent 15 years training in classical ballet with Mary Jane Bellia and Johanne Casabene,” the singer says.

“As my love for music grew, I also developed a love for singing and musical theatre which was nurtured at my local school through my drama teacher Rita Vassallo. At the age of 15, I was discovered by local tenor Brian Cefai, who identified the potential of a mezzo-soprano voice and guided my development through graded exams.”

I was born into a family of dancers and was introduced to music at the tender age of three through dance

After meeting professionals in London who encouraged her to develop her vocal instrument, in 2016, Bartolo left her home and her accountancy studies to pursue classical music and she studied in a private studio with Marcus Van Den Akker. She was then offered a place on the course she is following at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Apart from United Kingdom, Bartolo has trained in Italy, Austria and most recently in New York, USA, where she was offered a place as a young artist with the Manhattan Opera Studio.

During her time in New York, she performed in various venues, most notably giving two performances at Carnegie Hall, where she sang excerpts from Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, Bizet’s Carmen and Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro.

She stresses that training with the Manhattan Opera Studio would not have been possible without the support of the Arts Council Malta and the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation.

“My next step will be starting my master’s degree in music in September at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance where I will be studying with Sarah Pring and Peter Knapp,” says the singer.

Follow Francesca Bartolo’s journey on social media @francesca.bartolo.