Rolando Panerai

In a career spanning over 60 years, the venerable Rolando Panerai not only was one of the most admired and popular baritones of his time but one of the most versatile. Panerai was born in the Italian town of Campi Bisenzio, near Florence, on October 17, 1924. After studying with Vito Frazzi in Florence and with Giulia Tess in Milan, he won first prize in the Spoleto-based Adriano Belli Competition. He debuted in 1946 in Florence, singing Enrico Ashton from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. Panerai's La Scala debut came in 1951 when he sang the High Priest with great success. ...