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Described as “A true vocal personality” by Alberto Mattioli in Amadeus Magazine, Italian-Egyptian Mezzosoprano Arlene Belli began her career while still graduating at Santa Cecilia Conservatoire in Rome.

Recipient of the Make Music Audition Oracle Award, the Sybil Tutton Opera Award and the First Prize at the Simone Alaimo International Competition. She is a graduate of the National Opera Studio in London and a graduate of Santa Cecilia Conservatoire in Rome. She also completed a degree in Political Science and International Relations at LUISS Guido Carli University. 

She is now performing as Imelda in La battaglia di Legnano at Teatro Regio di Parma and she is part of the Accademia Verdiana 2024.

In 2023 Arlene made her debut as mezzo soloist in Messiah by G.F. Handel and Petite Messe Solennelle by G. Rossini, the latter both in the UK and at the Mysterium Festival in Taranto, Italy; in Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Handel’s Foundling Hospital Anthem at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.

In March 2023 she returned to Cadogan Hall to perform as alto soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No.3 with the Royal Orchestral Society conducted by Orlando Jopling.

This summer Arlene made her Grange Festival debut as Polina in The Queen of Spades by P. I. Tchaikovsky conducted by Paul Daniel and directed by Paul Curran.

Her versatile voice can range from Baroque to Contemporary repertoire, indeed her operatic appearances include Lucretia The rape fo Lucretia - Opera North, Dorina La Diavolessa, Andromaca Il Polidoro - Teatro Olimpico Vicenza, Zaida Il Turco in Italia - Longhope Summer Opera, Teresa La Sonnambula - Random Opera Company, Rosina Il Barbiere di Siviglia - Teatro Greco, Dorabella Così fan tutte, Charlotte Werther - Interocrea Festival, Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro - EtnaOpera Festival, Speranza and Ninfa in Monteverdi’s Orfeo - Palazzo Te Mantua but she has also premiered contemporary roles like Adele in La sopravvivenza della specie, role written for her by Giuseppe Zampetti and performed at Teatro Eliseo in Rome, Lady Louisa Wolseley in The Master by Alberto Caruso at Wexford Festival Opera and the female Pope in Edward Lambert’s The Burning Question at 2022 Tête à Tête Festival Opera in London.

Recent performances include concerts with Welsh National Opera, English National Opera and Opera North appearing at St. David’s Hall (Cardiff), The Coliseum (London) and Cadogan Hall (London) where she was described by Opera Magazine as “A magnetic Italian mezzo-soprano who stole the show as Carmen”. 
She has worked under the baton of Paul Daniel (Opera North, ENO, Grange Festival), James Southall (WNO), Olivia Clarke (ENO) Christoph Eschenbach (Teatro alla Scala), Francesco Erle (Teatro Olimpico), Alberto Malazzi (Teatro alla Scala), Matthew O'Keeffe (Longhope Summer Opera), Alex Ingram (ENO), Piergiorgio Dionisi, Giuseppe Pecce, Claudia Patanè (Teatro Eliseo), Andrea Tarantino (EtnaOpera Festival), Gaetan Nasato Tagnè and Davide Fagherazzi.
She is a founder and Board member of two Italian Music Associations back in her hometown - Padua; the Nova Symphonia Patavina and Compagnia d’opera Raminzona, formed by young musicians and singers, with which she organises interesting projects in order to attract new and young audiences to opera and classical music.
Beside her classic repertoire, Arlene has dedicated herself to numerous projects in electronic, jazz, blues music, composing and performing her original pieces, last of which inspired by poems by Garcia Lorca, written in four hands with the composer Enrico Morsillo.