Malfitano made her professional singing debut in 1972 at the Central City Opera in the role of Nannetta in Verdi's Falstaff. She soon appeared with Minnesota Opera, where she sang in the world premiere of Conrad Susa's Transformations and, in 1974 at the New York City Opera, in Puccini's La bohème, as Mimi. She then appeared with the Lyric Opera of Chicago (1975) and at the Royal Opera House (1976) and in other major European opera houses. She performed in 1974 as Susanna in a new production of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at the Holland Festival, and in 1976 as Servilia in a new production of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito at the Salzburg Festival. In 1978, Malfitano achieved wider recognition in a telecast of Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street from NYCO, playing Annina.,^[3] as well as Rose in Kurt Weill's Street Scene on Live from Lincoln Center in 1979.

Since then, Malfitano has sung at the major opera houses throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Royal Opera House in London, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, La Monnaie in Brussels, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Teatro Comunale Florence, Liceu in Barcelona, Berlin State Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Paris Opéra, Hamburgische Staatsoper, De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam as well as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, and the Houston Grand Opera.^[4]

One of Malfitano's best-known roles is the title role of Puccini's Tosca, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1992, performing alongside Plácido Domingo and Ruggero Raimondi. The opera was broadcast live from the actual Roman settings and viewed worldwide. She is also associated with the title role in Strauss's Salome, notably for performing the "Dance of the Seven Veils" ending the dance completely nude, a rarity in opera.^[5] She was also Jenny in Kurt Weill's Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny).

Throughout her career, Malfitano has championed the music of American composers, including Carlisle Floyd, William Bolcom, Conrad Susa and Thomas Pasatieri.^[3]

In 2005, Malfitano started a second career as an opera director, with a production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly for Central City Opera (the company with which she made her professional singing debut in 1972). Since then, she has created productions for La Monnaie, Florida Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, San Francisco Opera's Merola programme, English National Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Canadian Opera Company.^[6]

She is a member of the voice faculty at Manhattan School of Music.^[7]

She has sung over 70 roles throughout her career and continues to add more in her repertoire. Her repertory includes:

Record edit

• Catherine Malfitano, Joseph Malfitano Music For Voice and Violin, MHS/Musical Heritage Society Inc., 1974.
• Gounod Roméo et Juliette, EMI, 1983
• Monteverdi L'incoronazione di Poppea, Poppea, CBS, 1985
• Richard Strauss Salome, Polygram, 1995.
• Puccini Tosca, Teldec, 1996.
• Rossini Stabat Mater, EMI/Angel/Virgin, 1996.
• Christoph Willibald Gluck Orfeo ed Euridice, Gala, 2000.
• William Bolcom A View from the Bridge, New World, 2001.

Video edit

• Blue Moon Cat: Catherine Malfitano Live at Joe's Pub, Video Arts International, 2001
• Songs My Father Taught Me, Video Arts International, 2002
• The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala (1983), Deutsche Grammophon, 00440-073-4538, 2009
• James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala (1996), Deutsche Grammophon DVD, B0004602-09, 2005
• Verdi Stiffelio (1993), Opus Arte DVD, OA R3103 D, 2008
• Puccini Tosca (1992), Teldec Warner Classics DVD/BR, 2564-64529-2

• Official website
• Biography in IMG Artists site
• Biography from Fortunecity.com
• Catherine Malfitano at IMDb
• Interview with Catherine Malfitano, December 7, 1985