Opera Singer. He sang principal tenor roles both lyric and dramatic in major venues for more than 25 years. Raised in Sicily, he was a college student unaware of his talent until Luciano Pavarotti heard him sing at 19; sent to Pavarotti's own teacher, Arrigo Pola, for training he also had some lessons with legendary tenor Carlo Bergonzi. A 1982 competition win led to his 1983 professional debut at Teatro Regio, Parma, as Ernesto in Donizetti's comedy "Don Pasquale". Thru the 1980s he was heard in increasingly important European houses, bowing at Brussels' La Monnaie in 1984 as Nemorino from Donizetti's "L'Elisir D'Amore", at Paris' Opera-Comique in 1985 as Rinuccio from Puccini's one act comedic masterpiece about the macininations of the crooked lawyer "Gianni Schicchi", and at La Scala Milano in 1989 as Nemorino. In Germany La Scola was first seen in Cologne in 1985 and at Hamburg in 1991 while Vienna State Opera audiences first heard him in 1992. He first sang at Covent Garden, London, in 1990 as Rodolfo from Puccini's "La Boheme" and at San Francisco in 1991 as Tebaldo in Vincenzo Bellini's Shakespeare-themed "I Capuleti E I Montechi". La Scola gave the first of his 27 performances at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1993 as Rodolfo and was also heard there as the lecherous Duke in Verdi's "Rigoletto", as Alfredo of the same composer's "La Traviata", and as the painter Mario Cavaradossi from Puccini's "Tosca". Popular in Japan as well as in the West, he was over the years seen as a variety of characters including the title leads of Verdi's "Don Carlos" and Jacques Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman", as well as Polline in Bellini's "Norma", Radames from Verdi's "Aida", Lt. Pinkerton in Puccini's "Madame Butterfly", and the hapless Edgardo of Donizetti's tragedy "Lucia di Lammermoor". Named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2000, he was appointed a professor at Parma's Academy Verdi Toscanini in 2004. La Scola died of a heart attack while in Turkey for a master class leaving a significant legacy of recordings both studio and 'live' including the 1999 crossover album "Vita Mia" made with Sir Cliff Richard.
Opera Singer. He sang principal tenor roles both lyric and dramatic in major venues for more than 25 years. Raised in Sicily, he was a college student unaware of his talent until Luciano Pavarotti heard him sing at 19; sent to Pavarotti's own teacher, Arrigo Pola, for training he also had some lessons with legendary tenor Carlo Bergonzi. A 1982 competition win led to his 1983 professional debut at Teatro Regio, Parma, as Ernesto in Donizetti's comedy "Don Pasquale". Thru the 1980s he was heard in increasingly important European houses, bowing at Brussels' La Monnaie in 1984 as Nemorino from Donizetti's "L'Elisir D'Amore", at Paris' Opera-Comique in 1985 as Rinuccio from Puccini's one act comedic masterpiece about the macininations of the crooked lawyer "Gianni Schicchi", and at La Scala Milano in 1989 as Nemorino. In Germany La Scola was first seen in Cologne in 1985 and at Hamburg in 1991 while Vienna State Opera audiences first heard him in 1992. He first sang at Covent Garden, London, in 1990 as Rodolfo from Puccini's "La Boheme" and at San Francisco in 1991 as Tebaldo in Vincenzo Bellini's Shakespeare-themed "I Capuleti E I Montechi". La Scola gave the first of his 27 performances at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1993 as Rodolfo and was also heard there as the lecherous Duke in Verdi's "Rigoletto", as Alfredo of the same composer's "La Traviata", and as the painter Mario Cavaradossi from Puccini's "Tosca". Popular in Japan as well as in the West, he was over the years seen as a variety of characters including the title leads of Verdi's "Don Carlos" and Jacques Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman", as well as Polline in Bellini's "Norma", Radames from Verdi's "Aida", Lt. Pinkerton in Puccini's "Madame Butterfly", and the hapless Edgardo of Donizetti's tragedy "Lucia di Lammermoor". Named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2000, he was appointed a professor at Parma's Academy Verdi Toscanini in 2004. La Scola died of a heart attack while in Turkey for a master class leaving a significant legacy of recordings both studio and 'live' including the 1999 crossover album "Vita Mia" made with Sir Cliff Richard.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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