Carol Fox was as impressed by these recent conquests as had been the rest of the opera world, and she offered Anita a contract with the Chicago Lyric Opera for the 1955 Autumn season.
In early November Anita left for the United States and one of the greatest triumphs in her career.
On 29 November “Un Ballo in Maschera” was presented before a sold out auditorium with Anita, Jussi Bjorling, Tito Gobbi, Claramae Turner and Andrea Foldi. The second act duet created a storm of enthusiasm that last for several minutes and the usually undemonstrative Chicago audience rose to its collective feet at the opera’s conclusion. Claudia Cassidy - “The 1955 Ballo…introduced what should have been the next great dramatic soprano, Anita Cerquetti. She was a big girl with an avalanche of a voice pouring like lava. But, something happened, one of those inexplicable things that halts and destroys great promise. Just the same, to have heard that promise was to have known what can be”.
Though it was an enormous personal success for Anita, there were only two performances, but she returned to Italy with a raft of superb notices, ready to continue her journey.