Colosimo was born in Rio de Janeiro from Italian parents.
Colosimo studied at the Italian School "Principe di Piemonte all'estero" in Rio de Janeiro.
He obtained a Bachelor's equivalent in singing from the Lorenzo Fernández Academy of Music in the following disciplines:
theory and theory improvement, morphology, history of music, history of art, anatomy of voice, physiology of voice, chamber
music, singing and bel canto, piano (basic and higher level) and art of lyric declamation. He also studied the guitar for five
years.
From 1940 to 1946, Colosimo studied singing under Pedro Lopes Moreira, and from 1947 under Pasquale Gambardella.
He made his debut with the Experimental Opera House (at the Teatro São Luiz in Rio de Janeiro) on 5 May 1949 as
Pinkerton. His debut at the
Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro followed on 19 April 1950 as Manrico, then he sang Paolo in Fosca. From that season, he
became first tenor at the Municipal.
Rio's Theatro Municipal
Colosimo sang in almost all cities in Brazil in concert and opera. Outside Brazil, he sang in:
Argentina (Buenos Aires), Trovatore and Pagliacci
Colombia (Bogotá, Cali, Medellín), Butterfly, Bohème, Rigoletto, Traviata
Italy, Trovatore, Pagliacci, Andrea Chénier and Aida in concert
Germany (Munich), Trovatore
He sang in the following operas:
A compadecida (by José Siqueira, 5 November 1961, world premiere, Colosimo as Padre João), Adriana Lecouvreur,
Aida, Andrea Chénier, Assassinio nella cattedrale (by Ildebrando Pizzetti), Un ballo in maschera, La bohème, Carmen,
Cavalleria rusticana, Colombo (by Antonio Carlos Gomes), O contratador de diamantes (by Francisco Mignone), Don Pasquale, Faust,
La forza del destino, Fosca (by Antonio Carlos Gomes), Gianni Schicchi, Il Guarany (by Antonio Carlos Gomes), L'innocente (by
Francisco Mignone), Izaht (by Heitor Villa-Lobos, 13 December 1958, first stage performance), Juca Pirama (by Antonio Massana),
Khovanshchina (as Andrej Khovanskij), Madama Butterfly, Malazarte (by Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez), Martha, Moema (by Joaquim
Delgado de Carvalho), Il neo (by Henrique Oswald), Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Lo Schiavo (by Antonio Carlos Gomes), Tosca, La
traviata, Il trovatore, Turandot (as Altoum), Zazà. He also had a few concert pieces in his repertory, like Verdi's
Requiem or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
In 1993, at the age of 70, he sang the role of Emperor Altoum in an open air performance at Rio de Janeiro's Praça da
Apoteose, and in April 2002 at the Theatro Municipal, he sang the same role at the age of 78.
Since 1968, Colosimo began to devote his time and energy to teaching voice at the Lorenzo Fernández Academy of Music,
where he lectured until his death. Since 1985 until the class was stopped, in December 1998, he also taught at the Universidade
Estácio de Sá, again in Rio de Janeiro.
Colosimo was married to Maria Teresa Pére.
Discography
LP:
"Documents on Brazilian Music". Selections from Lo schiavo and Fosca – Funarte (1962)
CD:
Selections from Carlos Gomes' Operas Fosca and Lo schiavo – National Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Nino Stinco,
Rádio MEC (1996)
Carlos Gomes' Lo schiavo (complete opera), conducted by Santiago Guerra – Masterclass (1997)
"Tenor Alfredo Colosimo". Live performances from 1950 to 1970. 3 CDs (arias, duets and scenes) – non-commercial issue,
homage to his 80th birthday (2003)
Reference: Colosimo's own two websites, both defunct
