Kyle Ketelsen's Giorgio Tozzi Page

From Wikipedia

Giorgio Tozzi (January 8, 1923, in Chicago, Illinois- May 30, 2011, in Bloomington, IN) was for many years a leading bass with the Metropolitan Opera, and was seen in leading roles in nearly every major opera house worldwide. Tozzi studied at DePaul University with Rosa Raisa, Giacomo Rimini and John Daggett Howell (although he originally intended to study Biology). He made his professional debut in 1948 the Broadway production of Britten's Rape of Lucretia as Tarquinius. His signature roles included Mozart's Figaro, Phillip II, Hans Sachs, Pogner, and Gounod's Mephistopheles, among others. In 1958 he created the role of The Doctor in Samuel Barber's Vanessa. Tozzi was the recipient of 3 Grammy's; in 1960 the Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance, Operatic or Choral for The Marriage of Figaro with Erich Leinsdorf, in 1961 the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for Puccini's Turandot, with Erich Leinsdorf, and in 1963 the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for the Georg Solti recording of Verdi's Aida.

Outside of opera, for many years Tozzi played the role of Emile de Becque in various revivals and road tours of South Pacific. He was also the voice of De Becque in the 1958 film version. In 1980 Tozzi earned a Tony award nomination for best leading actor in a musical for his work as Tony in The Most Happy Fella. He also published a novel in 1992, The Golem of the Golden West.

Tozzi worked extensively as an educator in professorships at the Julliard School, Brigham Young University, and Indiana University. In 2006 he retired as Distinguished Professor of Voice at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana.

Martin Bernheimer, The New Grove Dictionary of American Music
- Macmillan Publishers Limited, London, 1984

Giorgio Tozzi (Jan 8, 1923-May 30, 2011). American bass. Although he began to study singing at 13, he attended DePaul University intending to become a biologist. After vocal study with Rosa Raisa, Giacomo Rimini and John Daggett Howell, however, he decided to concentrate on singing. He made his professional debut (as George Tozzi) in the Broadway production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia in the role of Tarquinius (December 29, 1948). He had further study in Milan with Giulio Lorandi, and made the transition from baritone to bass. His Italian debut was in 1950 as Rodolfo in La Sonnambula at the Teatro Nuovo. His La Scala debut followed in 1953 (in Catalani's La Wally), and he returned to New York to make his debut with the Metropolitan Opera as Alvise in La Gioconda. He then appeared with remarkable success in Salzburg, San Francisco, Florence, Palermo, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich and Lisbon. His notable roles include Philip II, Boris Godunov, Don Giovanni, Pogner (in later years, Hans Sachs), Gurnemanz, Arkel, Fiesco (Simon Boccanegra), Gremin (Eugene Onegin), Rossini's Don Basilio, Mozart's Figaro, and Gounod's Mephistopheles. He created the role of the Doctor in the premiere of Barber's Vanessa at the Metropolitan in 1958, and took part in the celebrated La Scala revival of Les Huguenots with Corelli, Sutherland and Simionato in 1962. He has been active in films and television (dramatic as well as operatic roles) and in musical comedy, and is an experienced concert singer. At his best, Tozzi was an imposing figure on the stage and a singer of uncommon versatility, warmth and intelligence.

Giorgio Tozzi (Legendary performer, and my teacher at Indiana University)

From Wikipedia

Giorgio Tozzi
(Legendary performer, and my teacher at Indiana University)