Mario Lanza

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Birthday: January 31, 2021

Powerful tenor Mario Lanza (born Alfred Coccozza) studied singing from childhood, and in 1942 gained an audition with conductor Serge Koussevitzky; as a result, he won a scholarship and appeared at the Berkshire Summer Festival in Tanglewood. He was soon signed to a concert tour contract by Columbia, but the tour was interrupted by his World War II service. After his discharge, MGM signed him ...more