Tenor Angelo Loforese has died at the age of 100.

Born on March 27, 1920 in Milan, Italy, Loforese began studying music at the age of 18 but his studies were put on hold during the war in 1943, when he was forced to move to Switzerland.

After the war, he returned to Italy where he began studying with tenor Primo Montanari and went on to make his debut in 1948 as a baritone in the role of Silvio in “Pagliacci.”

However, under the studies of baritone Emilio Ghirardini, he switched to the tenor voice and made his debut in “Il Trovatore” in Casablanca alongside Carla Castellani in 1952.

While he never received the fame of some of his contemporaries such as Mario Del Monaco, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Franco Corelli, and Carlo Bergonzi,  Loforese went on to sing in 80 operas including Turiddu in “Cavalleria rusticana,” the title role of “Don Carlo,” and Romeo in Zadonai’s “Giulietta e Romeo.” He also sang around the world in Europe, the USA, and Africa. He also performed alongside Giuletta Simoniato, Ettore Bastianini, and Ada Finelli, among others.

After retiring from the stage he became a recognized teacher who taught such well-known figures as Petra Lang and in 2013 at the age of 93, he celebrated his 60th anniversary singing “Di quella pira” from “Il trovatore.” That performance found him new popularity. A competition under his name was also created.

Here he is at 93 singing “Di Quella Pira.”

Here he is alongside Ettore Bastianini.

Here he is singing in “Cavalleria Rusticana.”