Tito Schipa
Schipa, Tito
Born Jan. 2, 1889, in Lecce; died Dec. 16, 1965, in New York. Italian lyric tenor.
Schipa made his debut in 1910 at Vercelli in the role of Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. He sang in theaters in Italy and other countries. His finest roles included Count Almaviva in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, the title role in Massenet’s Werther, and three roles in Donizetti operas, namely, Edgar in Lucia di Lammermoor, Ernesto in Don Pasquale, and Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore. Schipa left the opera stage in 1955. He performed in concert until 1958 and also taught. In 1957 he visited the USSR, where he served as jury chairman for a vocal competition at the World Festival of Youth in Moscow.
Schipa composed the operetta La Principessa Liana (1929) and several songs. He also appeared in musical films.