Luigi Alva

Peruvian tenor Luigi Alva was born Luis Ernesto Alva y Talledo in Paita on 10 April 1927. Before studying at ths Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Lima, he served in the Peruvian Navy.

He sang in Torroba's romantic zarzuela Luisa Fernanda in 1959 and his first appearance at the Teatro Municipal de Lima was in 1951 as Bebbe in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

In 1953 he studied with Emilio Ghirardini and Ettore Campogalliani in Milan, and this was followed by debuts there: Teatro Nuovo, Milano (1954) and La Scala (1955). He went on to sing at most of the leading opera houses in Europe and the USA, including Glyndebourne, the Philadelphia Lyric Opera Company and New York Metropolitan Opera (where he sang 101 performances between 1964 and 1975).

He had a clear and elegant lyric voice, and seldom ventured beyond his favourite repertoire, which included operas by Donizetti, Mozart and Rossini.

He founded the Asociación Prolírica del Perú in Lima in 1980, and was its artistic director for several years.

Luigi Alva retired from the stage in 1989, but taught singing in Milan, gave masterclasses, was a jury member in singing competitions and sponsored the prize bearing his name: the Premio Luigi Alva for young singers. He lived until 15 May 2025, aged ninety-eight.

 

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