The Italian baritone scored his international breakthrough during the Verdi Centennial year, 2001. The vehicle was the title role/Falstaff, performed with Riccardo Muti in Giorgio Strehler’s production, seen at La Scala and Bussetto’s historic Teatro Verdi. The collaboration with Muti has continued with Maestri’s appearances at La Scala as Iago/Otello, Renato/Un ballo in maschera, Don Carlo di Vargas/La forza del destino, and Giorgio Germont/La traviata. His successes beyond the Verdi repertoire include role debuts as Scarpia (Torre del Lago), Carlo Gérard/Andrea Chénier (Perelada Festival), Alfio/Cavalleria rusticana (Met), Tonio/Pagliacci (La Scala), and Dulcamara/L’elisir d’amore (Opéra National de Paris). Maestri has also been a prominent guest artist at other prestigious companies, such as the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Vienna Staatsoper, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He is closely associated with the Arena di Verona, where he has sung more than 100 performances. During the Verdi Bicentennial year (2013), he portrayed Falstaff at La Scala, the Met, and in Paris, Zurich, Salzburg, Munich, and Tokyo. Maestri can be seen on DVD in L’elisir d’amore, Nabucco, and multiple performances of Aida and Falstaff.