Giorgio Tozzi

Composers

Biography

Born: January 8, 1923; Chicago, IL  
An eminent opera singer, bass-baritone Giorgio Tozzi is also thoroughly at home in American musical theater. He began to study singing at the age of thirteen. Entering Chicago's DePaul University with the intention of becoming a biologist, he changed his mind and studied voice with Rosa Raisa, Giacomo Rimini, and John Daggett Howell. His operatic debut was in the American premiere of Benjamin Britten's chamber opera The Rape of Lucretia, as Read more Tarquinius, which was a 1948 Broadway production rather than an opera presentation. In 1949, he went to London to sing in a musical, Tough at the Top. He remained in Europe to study in Milan with Giulio Lorandi. Tozzi's Italian debut was at Milan's Teatro Nuovo as Rodolfo in La sonnambula; his La Scala debut was in 1953, in Catalani's La Wally. He returned to the United States, where his first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera was in 1955, in La Gioconda. Tozzi then joined the Metropolitan company, staying there until 1973. As his operatic career developed, Tozzi maintained a keen interest in musicals, starring in several acclaimed productions. His performance in the Broadway revival of Most Happy Fella brought him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. In 1957, Tozzi won the Critics' Award for Best Actor in a Musical for the production of South Pacific in San Francisco, opposite Mary Martin. He was also on the sound track of the film South Pacific as the voice of Emile Debeque, acted by Rosanno Brazzi. The soundtrack of that film brought Tozzi a gold record from RCA Victor, and he also won three Grammy Awards. In 1958, he created the role of The Doctor in the world premiere of Samuel Barber's Vanessa at the Met. Other roles in his repertoire were the title role in Musorgsky's Boris Godunov, King Philip in Don Carlo, Mephistopheles in Gounod's Faust, the title role of Don Giovanni, Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Don Basilio in Rossini's Barber of Seville, Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Arkel in Debussy's Pélleas et Mélisande, Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, King Marke in Tristan und Isolde, and Hans Pogner in Die Meistersinger. Tozzi's appearance in the Hamburg Opera's film Die Meistersinger, as Hans Sachs, is, he says, his proudest professional achievement. He also filmed his roles as Boris Godunov and as King Melchior in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors. Tozzi has sung in all the great opera houses. In his 20 years with the Metropolitan, he sang 400 performances. In addition to his work in operas in musicals, Tozzi has often appeared on film and television in singing and non-singing roles. Throughout his career, Tozzi has been an enthusiastic teacher, always eager to encourage younger musicians. During his tenure at the Met, Tozzi taught at the Juilliard School in New York City. In 1991, became a professor at the Indiana University School of Music. Read less
Browse 1-25 of 61 Available Recordings
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  • 1.
    Puccini: La Fanciulla Del West / Mitropoulos, Steber, Del Monaco, Giacomo, Guelfi, Tozzi, Et Al
    Puccini: La Fanciulla Del West / Mitropoulos, Steber, Del Monaco, Giacomo, Guelfi, Tozzi, Et Al
    Label: Regis   Catalog: 2080 Release Date: 01/29/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Giacomo Puccini
    Performer:  Giangiacomo Guelfi,  Vito Susca,  Enzo Viaro,  Eleanor Steber  ... 
    Conductor:  Dimitri Mitropoulos
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Florence Maggio Musicale Chorus,  Florence Maggio Musicale Orchestra
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  • 2.
    Puccini: The Great Operas [13-CD Set]
    Puccini: The Great Operas [13-CD Set]
    Label: Regis   Catalog: 9011 Release Date: 01/22/2013   Number of Discs: 13
    Composer:  Giacomo Puccini
    Performer:  Victoria de los Angeles,  Jussi Björling,  Robert Merrill,  John Reardon  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Thomas Beecham,  Victor De Sabata,  Gianandrea Gavazzeni,  Giuseppe Morelli  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra,  Columbus Boychoir,  RCA Victor Chorus  ... 
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  • 3.
    Solti Conducts The Verdi Operas [16-CD Set]
    Solti Conducts The Verdi Operas [16-CD Set]
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001746202 Release Date: 10/16/2012   Number of Discs: 16
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Jon Vickers,  Robert Merrill,  Rita Gorr,  Leontyne Price  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Georg Solti
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Rome Opera House Orchestra,  Rome Opera House Chorus,  Santa Cecilia Academy Rome Chorus  ... 
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  • 4.
    Romberg: Desert Song / Tozzi, Barr, Palmer, Engel
    Romberg: Desert Song / Tozzi, Barr, Palmer, Engel
    Label: Rca   Catalog: 42771 Release Date: 09/11/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Sigmund Romberg
    Performer:  Kathy Barr,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Peter Palmer,  Warren Galjour
    Conductor:  Lehman Engel
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  • 5.
    Verdi: Simon Boccanegra / Verchi, Tozzi, Flagello, Scott, Tebaldi, Tucker
    Verdi: Simon Boccanegra / Verchi, Tozzi, Flagello, Scott, Tebaldi, Tucker
    Label: Walhall   Catalog: 359 Release Date: 05/15/2012   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Renata Tebaldi,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Richard Tucker,  Frank Guarrera  ... 
    Conductor:  Nino Verchi
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
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  • 6.
    Joan Sutherland - Legendary Performances
    Joan Sutherland - Legendary Performances
    Label: Bravissimo Opera Library   Catalog: 9915 Release Date: 02/14/2012   Number of Discs: 15
    Composer:  Vincenzo Bellini,  Giacomo Meyerbeer,  Michael Tippett,  Franz Joseph Haydn  ... 
    Performer:  Dame Joan Sutherland,  Dino Dondi,  Giuseppe Campora,  Raina Kabaivanska  ... 
    Conductor:  Antonino Votto,  Gianandrea Gavazzeni,  John Pritchard,  Richard Bonynge  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Milan Teatro alla Scala Orchestra,  Milan Teatro alla Scala Chorus,  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra  ... 
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  • 7.
    Verdi: Ernani / Schippers, Bergonzi, Nagy, Price, Metropolitan Opera
    Verdi: Ernani / Schippers, Bergonzi, Nagy, Price, Metropolitan Opera
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 190996 Release Date: 01/17/2012   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Ronald Reitan,  Cornell MacNeil,  Leontyne Price,  Carlo Bergonzi  ... 
    Conductor:  Thomas Schippers
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Metropolitan Opera Chorus,  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
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  • 8.
    Verdi: Luisa Miller / Schippers, Caballe, Tucker, Milnes, Metropolitan Opera
    Verdi: Luisa Miller / Schippers, Caballe, Tucker, Milnes, Metropolitan Opera
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 190994 Release Date: 01/17/2012   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Giorgio Tozzi,  Nancy Williams,  Sherrill Milnes,  Ezio Flagello  ... 
    Conductor:  Thomas Schippers
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Metropolitan Opera Chorus,  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
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  • 9.
    Verdi: Don Carlo / Adler, Corelli, Rysanek, Metropolitan Opera
    Verdi: Don Carlo / Adler, Corelli, Rysanek, Metropolitan Opera
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 791004 Release Date: 08/16/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Nicolae Herlea,  Irene Dalis,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Hermann Uhde  ... 
    Conductor:  Kurt Adler
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Metropolitan Opera Chorus,  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
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  • 10.
    Jussi Bjorling - The Complete RCA Album Collection
    Jussi Bjorling - The Complete RCA Album Collection
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 774892 Release Date: 07/26/2011   Number of Discs: 14
    Composer:  Ruggero Leoncavallo,  Charles Gounod,  Giacomo Puccini,  Giacomo Meyerbeer  ... 
    Performer:  Jussi Björling,  Robert Merrill,  Emil Markow,  Frederick Schauwecker  ... 
    Conductor:  Renato Cellini,  Nils Grevillius,  Jonel Perlea,  Erich Leinsdorf  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra,  Orchestra,  Rome Opera House Orchestra  ... 
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  • 11.
    Verdi: Messa Da Requiem / Reiner, Rysanek, Resnik, Lloyd
    Verdi: Messa Da Requiem / Reiner, Rysanek, Resnik, Lloyd
    Label: Archipel   Catalog: 521 Release Date: 07/26/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi,  Franz Joseph Haydn,  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  Regina Resnik,  Leonie Rysanek,  David Lloyd,  Giorgio Tozzi
    Conductor:  Fritz Reiner
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Chicago Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Chorus
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  • 12.
    Verdi: Aida / Solti, Price, Vickers, Merrill
    Verdi: Aida / Solti, Price, Vickers, Merrill
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001572702 Release Date: 07/12/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Jon Vickers,  Robert Merrill,  Rita Gorr,  Leontyne Price  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Georg Solti
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Rome Opera House Orchestra,  Rome Opera House Chorus
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  • 13.
    Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro / Tozzi, Peters, Della Casa, Leinsdorf
    Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro / Tozzi, Peters, Della Casa, Leinsdorf
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 444602 Release Date: 02/24/2011   Number of Discs: 3
    Composer:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Performer:  Anny Felbermayer,  George London,  Gabor Carelli,  Giorgio Tozzi  ... 
    Conductor:  Erich Leinsdorf
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna State Opera Chorus,  Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 14.
    Verdi: Simon Boccanegra / Gavazzeni, Gobbi, Panerai, Tozzi
    Verdi: Simon Boccanegra / Gavazzeni, Gobbi, Panerai, Tozzi
    Label: Opera D'oro   Catalog: 7076 Release Date: 08/10/2010   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Leyla Gencer,  Tito Gobbi,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Rolando Panerai  ... 
    Conductor:  Gianandrea Gavazzeni
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Vienna State Opera Chorus,  Vienna State Opera Orchestra
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  • 15.
    Verdi: Aida Scenes & Arias / Solti, Price, Gorr, Vickers
    Verdi: Aida Scenes & Arias / Solti, Price, Gorr, Vickers
    Label: London/Decca Opera Gala Series   Catalog: 421860 Release Date: 04/08/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Jon Vickers,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Leontyne Price,  Robert Merrill  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Georg Solti
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Rome Opera House Orchestra,  Rome Opera House Chorus
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  • 16.
    Beethoven: Symphony No 9 / Munch, Boston Symphony
    Beethoven: Symphony No 9 / Munch, Boston Symphony
    Label: Rca Victor Red Seal   Catalog: 38428 Release Date: 05/08/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven
    Performer:  Maureen Forrester,  Leontyne Price,  David Poleri,  Giorgio Tozzi
    Conductor:  Charles Munch
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New England Conservatory Chorus,  Boston Symphony Orchestra
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  • 17.
    Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer - Highlights / Dorati, Et Al
    Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer - Highlights / Dorati, Et Al
    Label: London/Decca Grand Opera Series   Catalog: 452731 Release Date: 04/24/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Richard Wagner
    Performer:  George London,  Rosalind Elias,  Leonie Rysanek,  Giorgio Tozzi  ... 
    Conductor:  Antal Doráti
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra,  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus
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  • 18.
    Handel Greatest Hits
    Handel Greatest Hits
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 742563 Release Date: 03/24/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  George Frideric Handel
    Performer:  Monica Sinclair,  Jennifer Vyvyan,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Jon Vickers  ... 
    Conductor:  Eugene Ormandy,  John McCarthy,  Raymond Leppard,  Richard Kapp  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philadelphia Orchestra,  English Chamber Orchestra,  Chamber Orchestra of Europe
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  • 19.
    Cult Opera Of The 1970s / Hamburg State Opera
    Cult Opera Of The 1970s / Hamburg State Opera
    Label: Arthaus Musik   Catalog: 101261 Release Date: 10/28/2008   Number of Discs: 10
    Composer:  Gian Carlo Menotti,  Alban Berg,  Richard Wagner,  Jacques Offenbach  ... 
    Performer:  William Workman,  Kurt Marschner,  Raymond Wolansky,  Ursula Boese  ... 
    Conductor:  Matthias Kuntzsch,  Bruno Maderna,  Leopold Ludwig,  Marek Janowski  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  North German Radio Children's Chorus,  Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra,  Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
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  • 20.
    Icon - Jussi Björling, The Swedish Caruso Sings Verdi, Puccini, Etc
    Icon - Jussi Björling, The Swedish Caruso Sings Verdi, Puccini, Etc
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 17313 Release Date: 10/28/2008   Number of Discs: 5
    Composer:  Giacomo Puccini,  Ruggero Leoncavallo,  Henry Ernest Geehl,  Carl Sjöberg  ... 
    Performer:  Victoria de los Angeles,  Jussi Björling,  John Reardon,  Giorgio Tozzi  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Thomas Beecham,  Gabriele Santini,  Nils Grevillius,  Renato Cellini  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  RCA Victor Orchestra,  Rome Opera House Chorus,  Rome Opera House Orchestra  ... 
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  • 21.
    Verdi: Aida Highlights / Price, Vickers, Gorr, Solti
    Verdi: Aida Highlights / Price, Vickers, Gorr, Solti
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4801283 Release Date: 10/13/2008   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi
    Performer:  Plinio Clabassi,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Leontyne Price,  Rita Gorr  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Georg Solti
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Rome Opera House Orchestra,  Rome Opera House Chorus
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  • 22.
    Verdi: Rigoletto
    Verdi: Rigoletto
    Label: Naxos   Catalog: 8111276-77 Release Date: 06/24/2008   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giuseppe Verdi,  Gioachino Rossini
    Performer:  Lidia Grandi,  Leonardo Monreale,  Arturo La Porta,  Tommaso Frascati  ... 
    Conductor:  Jonel Perlea,  Vincenzo Bellezza
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  • 23.
    Puccini: La Boheme / Bjorling, De Los Angeles, Beecham
    Puccini: La Boheme / Bjorling, De Los Angeles, Beecham
    Label: Regis   Catalog: 2075 Release Date: 01/01/2008   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Giacomo Puccini
    Performer:  Victoria de los Angeles,  Jussi Björling,  Robert Merrill,  John Reardon  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Thomas Beecham
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra,  Columbus Boychoir,  RCA Victor Chorus
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  • 24.
    Berlioz: L'enfance Du Christ, Les Nuits D'été / Munch, Reiner
    Berlioz: L'enfance Du Christ, Les Nuits D'été / Munch, Reiner
    Label: Rca Victor Gold Seal   Catalog: 61234 Release Date: 12/26/2007   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Hector Berlioz
    Performer:  Florence Kopleff,  Cesare Valletti,  Giorgio Tozzi,  Gérard Souzay  ... 
    Conductor:  Charles Munch,  Fritz Reiner
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New England Conservatory Chorus,  Boston Symphony Orchestra,  Chicago Symphony Orchestra
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  • 25.
    Franco Corelli / 7 Complete Operas (14-disc Set)
    Franco Corelli / 7 Complete Operas (14-disc Set)
    Label: Bravissimo Opera Library   Catalog: 9902 Release Date: 10/16/2007   Number of Discs: 14
    Composer:  Ruggero Leoncavallo,  Giacomo Puccini,  Umberto Giordano,  Gaetano Donizetti  ... 
    Performer:  Franco Corelli,  Tito Gobbi,  Mafalda Micheluzzi,  Mario Carlin  ... 
    Conductor:  Alfredo Simonetto,  Sir Alexander Gibson,  Lovro von Matacic,  Antonino Votto  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Italian Radio Chorus Milan,  Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra Milan,  Royal Opera House Covent Garden Chorus  ... 
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