Luigi Zamboni

Portrait of Luigi Zamboni by Giovanni Antonio Sasso

Luigi Zamboni (1767 – 28 February 1837) was an Italian operatic buffo bass-baritone.

He was born in Bologna, where he began his singing career in 1791 in a production of Cimarosa's Il fanatico burlato. Engagements followed in Naples, Parma, Venice and Rome, where he sang in operas by Valentino Fioravanti, Paisiello and others. He retired from the stage in 1825. He died in Florence.

The Barber of Seville

The part of Figaro in The Barber of Seville was written for Zamboni by Gioachino Rossini, who was also a family friend. Zamboni created the role in Rome on 20 February 1816.

Russia

In 1829 Zamboni managed an Italian opera company in St Petersburg for two seasons, performing Rossini and other works.

Sources

• Forbes, Elizabeth (1992), 'Zamboni, Luigi' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
• Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5