Cappuccilli, Piero

▪ 2006

      Italian operatic baritone (b. Nov. 9, 1926, Trieste, Italy—d. July 12, 2005, Trieste), enjoyed a 35-year career during which he was widely regarded as the leading Italian baritone of his generation; he was particularly known for his tendency to insert unwritten high notes into his performances. Cappuccilli's official debut was at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan in 1957 as Tonio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, and he first sang at La Scala in 1964. Cappuccilli performed in opera houses throughout Europe and in the U.S., where he had a long association with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. He was best known for his interpretations of Giuseppe Verdi's operas, in which he sang 17 roles. After a serious auto accident in 1992, Cappuccilli quit performing and concentrated on teaching.

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