Vincenzo Antonio Manno Italian-American opera singer, tenor Date of Birth: 19.01.1949 Country: Italy

Biography of Vincenzo Antonio Manno

Vincenzo Antonio Manno, an Italian-American opera singer and tenor, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He began his musical studies at the Cleveland Music School Settlement under the guidance of John Shurtleff and Burton Garlinghouse. He continued his education at Oberlin College, studying under the renowned Richard Miller. Manno also attended special summer courses with Josephine Antoine in Chautauqua and Eleanor Steber at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Through a Fulbright fellowship, Manno furthered his studies in Rome at Santa Cecilia under Gennaro D'Angelo and later at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan with Ettore Campogalliani. He also received private vocal training from Otto Mueller in Milan and then became a student of Dennis Hall in Bern, Switzerland. Manno studied under Hall until his mentor's death in 2004.

Throughout his career, Manno worked with a wide range of repertoire, performing baroque compositions as well as traditional and modern pieces. He frequently collaborated with various theater companies worldwide and could often be heard on European radio stations. Manno was a regular performer at La Scala Opera House and retired in 2009.

In addition to his singing career, Manno gained recognition as a highly esteemed vocal instructor. He regularly conducted seminars and master classes for aspiring performers, teaching at the Academy for Young Singers, which was affiliated with La Scala and led by renowned soprano Leyla Gencer. Manno also taught at the Accademia Internazionale della Musica in Milan and the Accademia Donizetti in Masate.

Manno's expertise was sought after internationally, and he frequently traveled to conduct courses on stagecraft, practical interpretation, and performance in opera houses. He spent some time working in New Zealand, teaching at the University of Otago and the University of Waikato, as well as offering private courses and participating in various discussion projects as a guest speaker.

One of Manno's recent projects involved teaching English diction to the chorus of La Scala Opera House for their production of Benjamin Britten's "Death in Venice". The performance was highly successful, and soon after, Manno's students were performing Luca Francesconi's opera "Quartett". Today, Manno's students can be found in major opera houses, recording studios, and concert halls worldwide.

Manno has been honored with several awards throughout his career, including the "Grand Prix du Disque" for his outstanding performance of baroque compositions and the "Best Recording of the Year" for his two-disc collection of 17th-century melodies.