Mario Ortica

Mario Ortica studied voice with various teachers, the last of whom was Aureliano Pertile, who thought highly of him. However, Ortica was obviously somewhat hesitant to pursue a singing career. He made his debut in 1950 in Cesena as Cavaradossi, but even though he soon appeared in a concert at La Scala, he decided to work in his father's company instead of being a singer. In 1952, he made a second debut (in Como as Canio); now he stuck to it, and very successfully so: the same year, he was at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milano, and the following year back at La Scala, where he sang regularly until 1960.

Bologna, Genova, Rome, Lisbon and Florence heard him; from 1955 to 1957, he sang twelve performances (six roles) at the New York Met, in 1958, he was at Covent Garden, and in 1960, at the Vienna Staatsoper. Then his reluctance must again have got the better of him, and the last notes about him (as a singer or otherwise) are from 1961.

Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens, reference 2: La Scala archives