Italian Baritone Alberto Mastromarino has Died, Aged 61

The internationally renowned baritone was known for his roles in Puccini and Verdi operas

Hailing from the Italian village of Castelnuovo della Misericordia, Alberto Mastromarino studied singing with Paolo Silveri. In 1987, he made his debut in the role of Amonasro in Verdi’s opera Aida at the Teatro Eliseo in Rome.

Mastromarino later performed to great acclaim across major theaters around the world including in New York, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Los Angeles, Barcelona, ​​Beijing, and Spain. 

In his native Italy, he appeared at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, Arena in Verona, Regio in Turin, Bellini in Catania, and the Carlo Felice in Genoa. Additionally, he often performed in Verona from 2000 to 2019, both at the Arena Festival and at the Opera Season at the Teatro Filarmonico.

He also performed at the Goldoni in Livorno, where he had watched his first opera as a child — a production of Puccini’s La Bohème performed by the Romanian soprano Lucia Stanescu.  

Throughout his career, he portrayed main Verdi roles in La Traviata, Simon Boccanegra, Rigoletto, Trovatore, Macbeth, Falstaff. He also sang roles in operas by Puccini including Scarpia in Tosca, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Michele in Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi, and more. 

On many occasions he also played Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana by the Livorno composer Pietro Mascagni. In recent years, he also taught opera singing at the Pavia Conservatory.

“An illustrious son of our Municipality, Alberto Mastromarino has always maintained a deep bond with the places of his youth … which he carried with pride throughout his brilliant artistic career,” Mayor Claudio Marabotti wrote in a tribute. “His voice, full of expressiveness and technique, has conquered the greatest stages in the world. His passing leaves an unfillable void in the world of culture and in our community, which remembers him not only for his extraordinary talent, but also for his humanity, his kindness and the affection that he never stopped showing towards his roots.”

Mr. Mastromarino passed away in the hospital in Cecina, following a long illness. Our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.