Danilo Formaggia, born in Milan, studied piano and singing, perfecting himself with Alfredo Kraus and Magda Olivero. In 1998, he was awarded the "Enrico Caruso" Prize. After his debut in 1996 in the Due Contesse by Paisiello and in the Due Baroni by Cimarosa at the Festival dell' Opera Buffa, he began a brilliant international career which saw him perform in the main Italian and foreign theaters. She sang at La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, San Carlo Theater in Naples, Rome Opera House, Bellini Theater in Catania, Verdi Theater in Trieste, Petruzzelli Theater in Bari, Carlo Felice Theater of Genoa, Teatro Lirico of Cagliari, Opernhaus of Leipzig, Opera of Montecarlo, the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome, Sydney Opera House, Festspielhaus of Baden-Baden, Festival of Edinburgh, Royal Danish Theater, Festival de Radio France of Montpellier , International Music Festival ÄŒeský Krumlov, Rossini in Wildbad, Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra.
Among the conductors with whom he collaborated are Claudio Abbado, Sir Colin Davis, Donato Renzetti, Nello Santi, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Claudio Scimone. Among the directors we mention Franco Zeffirelli, Lindsay Kemp, Graham Vick, Robert Carsen, Dmitri Bertman, Denis Krief, Filippo Crivelli, Giancarlo Cobelli, Franco Ripa di Meana. His repertoire includes works by Piccinni, Paisiello, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, R. Strauss, Stravinskij, Mahler, Krenek, Mercadante, Giordano, Cagnoni, Beethoven, Bizet.
Danilo Formaggia has also taken part in several absolute premieres of contemporary works such as Poesie by Puccini with music by Franco Mannino, Il Fantasma della cabina and Che fine ha fatto la piccola Irene? by Marco Betta, La Bella e la Bestia by Marco Tutino, The Tempest with music by Henry Purcell / Carlo Galante, La Madre del Mostro and Lo stesso mare by Fabio Vacchi, La Maschera di Punkitititi, by Marco Taralli, Il Re Nudo by Luca Lombardi, Exit Mundi by Giovanni Tamborrino, Meet Her by Orazio Sciortino, L'assassino by Francesco Fournier-Facio, La Donna di veleni by Marco Podda.
In 2017 Manon Lescaut and Il Tabarro by G.Puccini made their debut, in 2018 Nabucco by G.Verdi, Cavalleria Rusticana by P.Mascagni and Gianni Schicchi by G.Puccini.
In 2019 Don Giovanni by W.A.Mozart and Macbeth by G. Verdi
In 2020 Carmen by G.Bizet
Among his recordings: Mascagni's Masks (Kicco Music); La Cecchina or the good daughter of Piccinni (Bongiovanni); I Capuleti and Montecchi by Bellini (Dynamic); Die Zauberflöte by Mozart with Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in the Mozart year (Deutsche Grammophon, 2006); Marcella by U. Giordano (Dynamic); Pelagio di S. Mercadante (Dynamic); Re Lear by A. Cagnoni (Dynamic); The Sicilian Vespers by Lindpaintner (Naxos); Puritani in the DVD Hardy Classic (homage to Bellini with Vincent Scalera at the piano); Face to face with Magda Olivero (DVD Hardy Classic).