Flaviano Labò

Who was Flaviano Labò?

Flaviano Labò, was an Italian operatic tenor, particularly associated with heroic roles of the Italian repertory.

Labò was born at Borgonovo, near Piacenza. While in the army, he came to the notice of the conductor Antonino Votto, and subsequently studied with Ettore Campogalliani in Parma, Renato Pastorino in Milan and Valentino Metti in Piacenza. He made his stage debut at the Teatro Municipale in Piacenza, as Cavaradossi in Tosca, in 1954.

He quickly sang widely in Italy and various European opera houses, as well as in South America, before making his debut on November 29, 1957, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, as Alvaro in La forza del destino, where he sang thirteen roles in eight seasons, including Alfredo in La traviata, Manrico in Il trovatore, and Radamès in Aïda. In 1959, he sang at the New York City Opera as Calaf in Puccini's Turandot and Rodolfo in La bohème. He also appeared at the San Francisco Opera, and the opera houses of Philadelphia, Houston, and New Orleans.

Other important debuts were at the Royal Opera House in London, and the Palais Garnier in Paris, both as Radamès in Aïda in 1959. He first sang at La Scala in Milan, in the title role of Don Carlos, in 1960. He appeared at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 1967, as Gualtiero in Il pirata, opposite Montserrat Caballé, and was a regular guest at the Verona Arena. He also made guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera, the Zurich Opera, the Teatro Nacional Sao Carlos in Lisbon, and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.