Career
& Highlights of Michelangelo Verso 
 |
| Michelangelo Verso, born in Palermo, studied with Tenor Salvatore Pollicino in Palermo, with Maestro Punzo in Naples and with famous Tenor Giovanni Martinelli in New York. He has sung in various Radio programs of the EIAR and RAI winning several awards. He was chosen winner of the International Contest of Perfection for singing at the Accademia Internazionale Chigiana of Siena where he studied with the Soprano Ines Alfano Tellini and he won a shcolarship for acting at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia of Rome.
|
 |
| Mr. Verso has recorded many records for FONIT, CETRA, COLUMBIA
and other labels. He was the first in history who recorded the famous Sicilian Evergreen "VITTI 'NA CROZZA" on a 78 rpm record in 1951 for the CETRA record-company. To look at the complete list of the 78, 45 and 33 rpm records, please click on Discography Michelangelo Verso was also invited to sing on the very first voyages of the legendary transatlantic liner Andrea Doria with the orchestra conducted by Maestro Bandel. In 1952 he was engaged by Furio Rendine to participate at the famous Neapolitan song- festival "La Piedigrotta" where he was awarded for singing "Campane Napulitane" (on Fonit record) and where the local critics quoted him as the new Caruso for having sung without a microphone. |
|
|
In New York, where he became established, he did extensive Radio and TV work for CBS, NBC and the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como shows. After that he was contracted at the Pittsburgh Opera House for the season of 1953/54 to sing the "Barber of Seville" in the role of the Count of Almaviva where he was listed among many famous artists like Mario del Monaco, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Ferruccio Tagliavini and Nino Martini etc. (see the complete list). |
| He established himself in Mexico where he performed with Josephine Baker at the Teatro Iris and with Gloria Aguiar he made the TV-special "Invitacion a Italia" sponsored by Good Year. His voice was used also in a Mexican film "Locos peligrosos" in 1957 with the famous comic actor Tin-Tan. Further on he sang at the Teatro Bellas Artes (please click on the image on the right to view the entire program of this concert) and recorded several Lp's for the Columbia record company in Mexico. Click on Discography for more details. |
|
Please click on the image below to see a larger
view of
Teatro Municipal of Calì (Colombia)
In Cuba, 1955 at Canal 4, he performed on the same TV program with Edith Piaf and at the famous Tropicana he was together with Maurice Chevalier and Nat King Cole. Mr. Verso's Operatic Repertoire included: Rigoletto, La Bohème, La Traviata, Barber of Seville, Cavalleria Rusticana, Lucia di Lammermoor and Elisir d'Amore. He sang in many North-American countries and in almost all the countries of Latin-America. After a long tournéé of many years he returned to Europe and in 1962 he participated at the: "Festival della Nuova Canzone Siciliana di Castellamare del Golfo" where he won the first and second award with two Sicilian songs "Carritteri 'nnammuratu" and "Saridda". They have been recorded by the Fonola record company of Milan. He has sung with the famous Soprano Maria Caniglia and Baritones Cesare Bardelli and Carlo Morelli in concert and toured Germany in joint concert performances with Edoardo Bianco, the first violinist of Arturo Toscanini. In Germany he also sang for NATO, and in the Netherlands, where he was well established for many years, he performed in many concerts, TV and Radio shows. He also performed in many Eastern-block countries like Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, etc. and his concerts included International repertoire as well as operatic music. |
 |
To mention some of the VIP's for
|
| Today, Michelangelo Verso lives in Palermo, the city of his birth,
where he performed in many TV-shows and benefit concerts for UNICEF in the last few years. He also made three Beniamino Gigli memorial documentaries for TV because Mr. Verso has always been and still remains a great fan of "his beloved master Gigli". Gigli will never die because, according to Mr. Verso, Beniamino Gigli will always be the example for all other Tenors. Mr. Verso has a large collection of records, photo's, Videos, one 35 mm film and many other items of Beniamino Gigli. In 1984 Mr. Verso was invited by the Soprano Rina Gigli, the daughter of Beniamino Gigli, to come to Recanati (the birthplace of B. Gigli) to give a homage to her father in a concert in which the famous Tenor Ferruccio Tagliavini was present along with many authorities and other lyric singers. On that occasion, Mr. Verso sang the beautiful song: "Non ti scordar di me" (Don't forget me) which was one of the great successes of Beniamino Gigli. For that, Mr. Verso received the emblem of the city of Recanati, from the Mayor. |
| In Rome 1990, Michelangelo Verso was awarded, the Golden Plate, by O.I.P.E.C.: "Omaggio a Beniamino Gigli" for his world-wide artistic merits and tributes and in 1998 he has been nominated Honorary Member by the English Mario Lanza fanclub "Friends of Mario Lanza". Having maintained a fine voice, Michelangelo Verso has recorded several Compact Discs in the last few years, to view the complete list, please click on Compact Discs Michelangelo Verso Jr. Dedicated to my father |
 |
[ Home
| Photo-Album | Discography
| Compact Discs | Reviews
| Letters ] 
