Sesto Bruscantini

He won a vocal contest organized by RAI in 1947 and made his debut at La Scala in Milan in 1949, as Geronimo in Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto.

Bruscantini rapidly established himself in buffo roles in opera by Mozart and Rossini such as Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, Il turco in Italia, L'italiana in Algeri, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola but also in works by Donizetti such as L'elisir d'amore, La fille du régiment and Don Pasquale.

Bruscantini was a regular guest at the Glyndebourne and Salzburg festivals, the Vienna State Opera, also appearing in Brussels, Monte Carlo, Paris, Madrid, and London.

He sang relatively little outside Europe but did appear at the Lyric Opera of Chicago beginning in 1961 as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and continuing in a total of 14 roles in 11 seasons through 1985-86.

Bruscantini enjoyed a long and distinguished career, singing well into his 60s, making his belated Metropolitan Opera debut in 1981, as Taddeo in L'italiana in Algeri, in his two seasons at the Met he also sang Bartolo in Il barbiere di siviglia and Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore.