Country

:

Canada

Birth

:

January 14, 1925 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Death

:

July 15, 2000 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Genre

:

Opera

 

 

Vocal

 

Louis Quilico was a Canadian baritone who was born on January 14, 1925, in Montreal, Quebec. He was the son of Italian immigrants and grew up in a musical family. His father was a violinist and his mother was a singer, and they encouraged him to pursue a career in music. Quilico began his musical training at a young age, studying piano and voice. He later attended the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, where he studied with Martial Singher. He made his professional debut in 1950 with the Montreal Opera, singing the role of Marcello in La bohème. Quilico quickly established himself as one of Canada's leading baritones, and he went on to perform with many of the world's top opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Paris Opera. He was particularly renowned for his performances of Verdi and Puccini operas, and he was also a noted interpreter of French and Russian repertoire. One of Quilico's most memorable performances was his portrayal of the title role in Verdi's Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera in 1971. His performance was widely praised by critics, and it helped to establish him as one of the leading baritones of his generation. He went on to perform the role many times throughout his career, and it became one of his signature roles. Quilico also had a successful concert career, and he performed with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He was particularly renowned for his performances of Mahler's symphonies, and he recorded several of them with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his career, Quilico received many awards and honors for his contributions to classical music. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1972, and he was later promoted to Companion in 1991. He was also awarded the Governor General's Performing Arts Award in 1995, and he was inducted into the Canadian Opera Hall of Fame in 1996. Quilico continued to perform well into his seventies, and he remained an active advocate for classical music throughout his life. He passed away on July 15, 2000, at the age of 75, leaving behind a legacy as one of Canada's greatest classical musicians.

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