Tenor Tito del Bianco has died at the age of 88 in Trieste, Italy.

The tenor, who was baptized Sergio Del Bianco, was born on July 3, 1932, in Trieste, Italy, and went on to study with Augusta Rapetti Bassi in his hometown. He would leave Trieste for Rome where he studied with Renata Cotogni and made his debut in 1965 in New York performing Rossini’s “Stabat Mater” under Thomas Schippers.

That same year he sang his first Otello in Verdi’s masterpiece at the Due Mondi di Spoleto, also under Schippers. He would become an important exponent of the role singing it at the Teatro Regio di Parma, Bayerische Staatsoper, Wiesbaden Festival, Festival di Szeged, and Festival di Varna.

Other major roles included Calaf in “Turandot,” Radamès in “Aida,” Isamale in “Nabucco,” “Pollione in “Norma,” and Canio in “Pagliacci.” He would also end up singing in some of the great European theaters including Teatro San Carlo, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Regio di Parma, Festival Puccini, Teatro Comunale di Genova, and  Teatro Verdi di Trieste.

Del Bianco also performed concerts featuring the Wagner repertoire and lieder.

The tenor retired from the stage in 1982 and went on to teach at the Conservatorio “G. Tartini” di Trieste. He also became the artistic director of the Accademia Lirica “Augusta Rapetti Bassi” and  went on to publish a number of musical essays.  Del Bianco went on to recieve the Gold Media of Giuseppe Verdi dalla Corale Verdi di Parma. and was named Commendatore dell’Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana in 1998.

Here he is as Otello.

And here he is as Radames.