1. Louis Quilico was often referred to as "Mr Rigoletto" in reference to the Verdi opera.
23 Facts About Louis Quilico
1. 2.
Louis Quilico spent 25 consecutive years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
3.
Louis Quilico received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, in November 1999 for his lifetime contribution to classical music.
4.
Louis Quilico was born in Montreal, Quebec, of an Italian father and a French-Canadian mother.
5.
Louis Quilico studied singing as a youth with Frank H Rowe in his native Montreal while singing as a solo chorister in a church choir.
6.
Louis Quilico won the Nos futures etoiles competition on CBC Radio in 1953.
7.
Louis Quilico made his professional debut in 1954 as Rangoni in Boris Godunov with the Opera Guild of Montreal.
8.
Louis Quilico won the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air in 1955 and made his New York debut with the New York City Opera, singing Germont in La traviata on October 10,1955.
9.
Louis Quilico sang Rigoletto in his debut at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, in 1962.
10.
In 1963 Louis Quilico made his Paris Opera debut as Rodrigue in Don Carlos.
11.
Louis Quilico was a member of the cast for the premiere of the opera La Mere coupable by Milhaud, in Geneva in 1966.
12.
Louis Quilico appeared regularly at the Vienna State Opera and the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.
13.
In Canada, Louis Quilico performed regularly with the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, debut as Iago in Otello in 1960; later roles were Rigoletto, Macbeth, Simon Boccanegra, Germont, Amonasro in Aida, Scarpia in Tosca, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, etc.
14.
Louis Quilico made several appearances on CBC notably as Macbeth in 1973.
15.
Louis Quilico sang at the Stratford Festival, the Vancouver Opera, and the Opera du Quebec.
16.
Louis Quilico sang his last Rigoletto at the Opera de Montreal in 1991.
17.
Louis Quilico participated in concert version of rare operas with the American Opera Company with Eve Queler at Carnegie Hall, notably Gemma di Vergy and Parisina d'Este opposite Montserrat Caballe.
18.
Louis Quilico reached the Metropolitan Opera in February 1972 when he replaced at short notice the scheduled Golaud in Pelleas et Melisande.
19.
In 1987, Louis Quilico appeared in Manon opposite his son Gino Louis Quilico, a baritone, a performance notable for being the first of a father and son in the same opera at the Met.
20.
The couple toured extensively in duo concerts and collaborated on his biography, Mr Rigoletto: In Conversation with Louis Quilico and filmed a teaching video for York University.
21.
Louis Quilico continued his solo operatic career, performing Rigoletto for the last time in Ottawa in September 1994 with Opera Lyra.
22.
Louis Quilico was the mother of his son Gino Quilico and daughter Donna Quilico.
23.
Louis Quilico died on July 15,2000, in Toronto, Ontario.