Log In | Register
MILAN — Giulio Bertola, who directed the choir at Italy's famed La Scala theater in 1983-91, has died after a long illness, the opera house said Tuesday. He was 87.
La Scala said Bertola died Sunday, but did not elaborate on the cause of death.
"A complete musician, director and composer, Giulio Bertola was one of the keepers of the great tradition of Italian choral singing, leaving his mark of extraordinary rigor on La Scala," the theater said in a statement.
Bertola directed the choir for eight La Scala opera premiers, including Verdi's "Guglielmo Tell" and Rossini's "I Vespri Siciliani" under artistic director Riccardo Muti.
Before joining La Scala, Bertola had directed the choir for Muti's May 1983 concert for Pope John Paul II.
Bertola also worked in theaters including the Fenice, in Venice, and the Academy of Santa Cecilia, in Rome, according to La Repubblica newspaper and other local media reports.
No information was immediately available on survivors and funeral arrangements.
