Barbara Marchisio

Barbara Marchisio (6 December 1833 – 19 April 1919) was an Italian operatic contralto and one of Rossini's favorite singers.

She was known for her excellent technique and a voice which possessed both agility and a very wide extension which allowed her to sing roles in the soprano range.

Her younger sister Carlotta Marchisio was a noted soprano and their brother Antonino was a composer.

Barbara made her stage debut as Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma in Vicenza in 1856.

After her sister's debut in 1857, they frequently appeared together, singing leading contralto and soprano roles in Paris (at the Théâtre-Italien) as well as in Brussels, Berlin, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and various theatres in Great Britain.