Italian tenor Vincenzo La Scola, born on Jan. 25, 1958, enjoyed a lengthy career before his life was cut short at the age of 53.

He was born in Palermo and studied with the likes of Arrigo Pola, Carlo Bergonzi, and Rodolfo Celletti. In 1982, he was the recipient of the Alessandro Ziliano Award at the Vico Verdiane Competition and a year later he made his professional debut at the Teatro Regio di Parma. By 1989 he had performed around Europe, including a debut at La Scala in 1988. He also made three recordings during that time, including two full opera releases.

In the 1990s he was appearing in London, New York, and Vienna for the first time.

He continued a lengthy and potent career throughout the early 2000s but a heart attack in Turkey in 2011 caused his unexpected death.

In addition to his exploits as a singer, La Scola was also a flautist and a successful crossover artist. He also served a principal teacher and artistic director at the Accademia Verdi Toscanini.

Signature Roles

La Scola was an expert in the Italian bel canto repertory, traversing the operas of Donizetti and Bellini throughout his career. He made his professional debut in “Don Pasquale” and his major successes include performances of “L’Elisir d’Amore” and “La Fille du Régiment.”

He also sang the works of Verdi and Puccini frequently, making his Royal Opera House and Metropolitan Opera debuts in “La Bohème.”

Watch and Listen

Here is an album of a concert performance.

And here is an album dedicated to Italian song.