Louis Quilico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis Quilico
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Quilico in 1994
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 14, 1925 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | July 15, 2000 (aged 75) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Louis Quilico (born January 14, 1925 – died July 15, 2000) was a famous Canadian opera singer. He was known as a top baritone, which is a male singing voice that is deep and rich. Louis Quilico was especially good at singing music by Italian and French composers, like Giuseppe Verdi.
People often called him "Mr. Rigoletto." This was because he was so good at singing the main role in Verdi's opera called Rigoletto. He performed for 45 years and shared the stage with many of the biggest opera stars. He spent 25 years in a row singing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Even after he stopped performing on stage in 1998, he kept singing and recording music. He often worked with his second wife, Christina Petrowska Quilico, who is a pianist. They made four CDs together and also went on many concert tours. Louis Quilico passed away in 2000. In 1999, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. This is Canada's highest honor for people in the performing arts.
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Louis Quilico's Early Life and Training
Louis Quilico was born in Montreal, Quebec. His father was Italian, and his mother was French-Canadian. When he was young, he studied singing with Frank H. Rowe in Montreal. He also sang as a solo singer in a church choir.
In 1947, he won a prize. A pianist and vocal coach named Lina Pizzolongo encouraged him to keep studying. So, he went to Italy and studied at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He learned from Teresa Pediconi and the baritone Riccardo Stracciari. He also received a scholarship to study in New York at Mannes College. There, he learned from Martial Singher (voice), Ralph Herbert (staging), and Emil Cooper (repertoire). He also studied with Singher at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal.
Starting His Opera Career
In 1953, Louis Quilico won the Nos futures étoiles competition on CBC Radio. His first professional performance was in 1954. He sang the role of Rangoni in Boris Godunov with the Opera Guild of Montréal.
In 1955, he won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air. He then made his New York debut with the New York City Opera. On October 10, 1955, he sang the role of Germont in La traviata. Years later, in 1970, he sang Nottingham in Roberto Devereux. He performed alongside famous singers like Beverly Sills and Plácido Domingo.
Performing Around the World
Louis Quilico started performing internationally in 1959. He made his debut at the Spoleto Festival in Italy. He sang the main role in Donizetti's "Il duca d'Alba." In 1960, he performed at Covent Garden in London. He was in La traviata with Dame Joan Sutherland. He stayed with that company until 1963.
In 1962, he sang Rigoletto for his first time at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. In 1963, Quilico made his Paris Opéra debut. He sang Rodrigue in Don Carlos. He was also part of the first performance of the opera La Mère coupable by Milhaud in Geneva in 1966. He also performed regularly at the Vienna State Opera and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Singing in Canada and the U.S.
In Canada, Louis Quilico often performed with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. His first role there was Iago in Otello in 1960. He later sang many other roles, including Rigoletto, Macbeth, and Scarpia in Tosca. He also appeared on CBC, for example, as Macbeth in 1973. Quilico also sang at the Stratford Festival, the Vancouver Opera, and the Opéra du Québec. He sang his last Rigoletto at the Opéra de Montréal in 1991.
During the 1970s, he performed in many cities across the United States. These included San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Baltimore. He also sang in concert versions of rare operas at Carnegie Hall. In 1972, he sang the main role in Gioachino Rossini's William Tell.
Quilico first performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in February 1972. He stepped in to sing Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande on short notice. His official debut there was on January 1, 1973, as Germont. In 1987, Quilico performed in Manon with his son, Gino Quilico. This was special because it was the first time a father and son sang in the same opera at the Met.
Teaching and Later Career
Louis Quilico was also a teacher. He taught at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto from 1970 to 1987. He also taught at McGill University in Montréal from 1987 to 1990. Later, he taught at Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts and the Glenn Gould School in Toronto. After he passed away, his wife Christina Petrowska Quilico created a fund. It gives awards to young singers who are just starting their careers.
With his wife, Christina Petrowska-Quilico, he started a new part of his career. They toured together, giving many concerts. They also worked on his biography, Mr. Rigoletto: In Conversation with Louis Quilico. They even filmed a teaching video for York University.
Quilico continued his opera career, singing Rigoletto for the 510th and last time in Ottawa in 1994. In the 1990s, he performed in several operas at the Metropolitan Opera. These included Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Tosca, and Adriana Lecouvreur. He celebrated his 25th year at the Metropolitan Opera in 1996–97. He retired from that company in 1998.
Louis Quilico's Family Life
Louis Quilico was married to Christina Petrowska Quilico. She is a concert pianist, a professor, an author, and an artist. He was also a stepfather to her two daughters, Dominique and Delphine. His first wife was Lina Pizzolongo, who was a pianist and vocal coach. They had a son named Gino Quilico and a daughter named Donna Quilico. Louis Quilico passed away on July 15, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario.
Recordings and Music
Louis Quilico made many recordings throughout his career. Here are some of the CDs he made with his wife, Christina Petrowska Quilico:
- Two of a Kind (1996)
- Chants Français et Russes (1998)
- Vocal Gems - Live from New York (2003)
- Mr. Rigoletto: My Life in Music (2000)
He also recorded many operas, including:
- Donizetti, Il Duca d'Alba (1959)
- Verdi, Aida (excerpts) (1963)
- Donizetti, Maria Stuarda (1971)
- Bellini, I puritani (1973)
- Massenet, Thérèse (1974)
- Massenet, Esclarmonde (1975)
- The Most Happy Fella by Frank Loesser (1997–99)
