Tenor Luigi Alva is one of the great Rossini and Mozart interpreters of the mid 20^th century.

Born in Peru on April 10, 1927, Alva served in the Peruvian Navy before focusing on singing. His opera debut came in 1949 in Lima and in 1953, he headed to Milan where he would make his debut in 1954 at the Teatro Nuovo.

A La Scala debut would come two years later in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and his career took off from there. In 1964, he debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in “Falstaff;” he would sing with the company until 1975.

In 1980, he founded the Asociación Prolírica de Perú and retired from the stage in 1989. Since then, he has been a supporter of young artists, teaching masterclasses and voice lessons. In 2005, he was honored by the Peruvian postal service with a stamp in his honor and in 2012 he was given the Personalidad Meritoria de la Cultura medal by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture.

Signature Roles

Alva was the Rossini tenor of his time, dominating such works as “La Cenerentola” and “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” Of the latter, he made no less than three famed recordings with the likes of Tito Gobbi, Maria Callas, Victoria de lo Angeles, Teresa Berganza, and Hermann Prey, among others. He interpreted the role 21 times at the Met and made his La Scala debut singing it.

He was also a noted interpreter of Mozart’s operas, especially “Don Giovanni,” “Così Fan Tutte,” and “Die Zauberflöte.”

Read More on Alva

Check out this Interview We Had With the Legend

Four Roles You Can’t Miss

Watch and Listen

Here is a famed recording of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.”