Leo Nucci

Biography

Debuted in A. Belli’s Experimental Theatre in Spoleto in 1967 as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia – the part he debuted in at the Teatro alla Scala in 1977, which was the beginning of a recurrent collaboration. He participated in two season openings, both conducted by Riccardo Muti, and toured with the company a great deal. Exemplary baritone of the Verdi Year 2001 at the Teatro alla Scala, he sang a number of Verdi’s operas. A 2007 concert celebrating his 30 years of work at the La Scala was recordered and issued on DVD. Other theatres he frequently appears at include the Arena di Verona, the Teatro Regio in Parma, the Royal Opera House in London, the Vienna State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Zürich Opera House.

Has done audio recordings under such conductors as Karajan, Solti, Abbado, Maazel, Kleiber, Giulini, Patané, Bartoletti, Muti, Chailly, Levine, Mehta, Santi, Oren and Renzetti, alongside the most celebrated singers of the time: from Joan Sutherland to Luciano Pavarotti, from Montserrat Caballé to Carlo Bergonzi, from Shirley Verrett to Mario Del Monaco. Has sung Rigoletto in 510 official performances, the 500th was celebrated at the Vienna State Opera, where his was presented with the historic costume of the production.

In 2013 directed a production of Luisa Miller in Busseto, then continued his expirience as director with a production of L'amico Fritz for the young singers of the Piacenza Academy.