MONTE TAURO, Siciliy (CelebrityAccess) — Marcello Giordani, the noted Italian tenor and opera star, died on Saturday at the age of 56.
Giordani’s vocal coach Bill Schuman told the Associated Press that the opera star died after suffering from a heart attack following lunch at his home in the Sicilian town of Monte Tauro.
“I talked to his wife, Wilma,’” Schuman to. “He said he was thirsty, got up from his chair for some water and collapsed. They had a helicopter-ambulance come in, but he was already gone.”
A native of Sicily, made his professional debut at the famed Spoleto Festival at the age of 23 in 1986 when he played the Duke in Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” He debuted at Milan’s iconic Teatro alla Scala two years later as Rodolfo in Puccini’s “La Boheme.”
Giordani later performed with major operas around the world, including the Vienna State Opera, the London Royal Opera and the Paris Opera, as well as the Met in New York where he performed more than 240 times during the 2015-16 season.
However, more recently, his public performances became more infrequent and he launched the Marcello Giordani Foundation to support young singers.
According to the Associated Press, survivors include his wife, the former Wilma Ahrens, and sons Michele and Gerard Andre.
