Cecilia Bartoli - mezzo-soprano
(Birmingham Symphony Hall Collection)

Warmth and essentially Italian colors seem to radiate from this bubbling personality. Someone once said that Cecilia sings as much with her eyes as with her voice, and the focused, blazing eyes combine with her clasped hands to project her intense, charismatic sound across the picture.

The musical inspiration came from those youthful, sensational performances and recordings of Rossini, Mozart and then Vivaldi. The varied play of light on her cheeks and Cecilia's cascading hair suggest a variety of mood, expression and melody.

She was enthusiastic about this painting and insisted on acquiring a number of prints.