Bass-Baritone Angelo Nardinocchi has Died, Aged 81

Nardinocchi was particularly renowned for his work in "Rigoletto"

The Italian bass-baritone Angelo Nardinocchi, considered one of the great singers of the twentieth century, has passed away at the age of 81.

Nardinocchi studied with Jolanda Magnoni at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome before making his debut in Spoleto, where he sang the role of Marcello in La Bohème. The next year, he appeared in the central role in Rigoletto, which was to become the role he sang most often. 

In the years following his debut, Nardinocchi built a career that saw him perform in all the major Italian theaters. He frequently collaborated with singers such as Pavarotti at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples (“Un Ballo in Maschera”), Placido Domingo at the Arena di Verona (“Otello”), and Mirella Freni at the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome and the Teatro Comunale in Bologna (“Fedora”).

He appeared in halls including Genoa, Turin, Bologna Palermo, Florence, Trieste, Catania, and Verona, alongside conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Daniel Oren, and Maurizio Arena.

Nardinocchi also performed extensively outside of Italy, in Korea, Japan, Israel, China, and the United States.

"It is with deep sorrow that we learn of the passing of baritone Angelo Nardinocchi, an artist who has graced our stage many times, leaving an indelible mark with his voice and his passion," wrote the Teatro Massimo Bellini in a statement.

"From the recent Rigoletto in October 2024 to Adriana Lecouvreur in 2023, from Tosca in 2022 to Fedora in 2019, up to La Bohème in 2015, Nardinocchi has been part of important productions, with beautiful performances that the Bellini audience remembers with affection. We join with sincere participation in the grief of the family and, in particular, of his wife Paola Tedeschi Nardinocchi, who accompanied him in each of his performances."

Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.