Ezio Pinza (born Fortunio Pinza; May 18, 1892 - May 9, 1957) was an Italian opera singer. A bass with a rich, smooth and sonorous voice, he spent 22 seasons at New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearing in more than 750 performances of 50 operas. At the San Francisco Opera, Pinza sang 26 roles during 20 seasons from 1927 to 1948.
Pinza's Metropolitan Opera debut occurred in November 1926 in Spontini's La vestale, with famed American soprano Rosa Ponselle in the title role. In 1929, he sang Don Giovanni, a role with which he was subsequently to become closely identified. He subsequently added the Mozart roles Figaro (in 1940) and Sarastro (in 1942) to his repertoire, a vast number of Italian operatic roles of Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi, and Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov (sung in Italian). Apart from the Met, Pinza appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1930-1939, and was invited to sing at the Salzburg Festival in 1934-1937 by the celebrated German conductor Bruno Walter. Pinza sang once again under the baton of Toscanini in 1935, this time with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as the bass soloist in performances of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. One of these performances was broadcast by CBS and preserved on transcription discs; this recording has been issued on LPs and CDs. He also sang in Toscanini's February 6, 1938, NBC Symphony Orchestra's broadcast performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. These performances both took place in Carnegie Hall. In March 1942 he was arrested and detained 3 months on Ellis Island with hundreds of other Italian-Americans who were suspected of supporting the Axis. In October 1947 he performed the role of Mephistopheles in Guonod's Faust opposite his daughter, soprano Claudia Pinza Bozzolla, as Marguerite at the San Francisco Opera. Pinza retired from the Metropolitan Opera in 1948. He had sung opposite many celebrated singers at the Met during his heyday. They included, among others, such international stars as Amelita Galli-Curci, Rosa Ponselle, Elisabeth Rethberg, Giovanni Martinelli, Beniamino Gigli, Lawrence Tibbett, Giuseppe De Luca, and Salvatore Baccaloni. The Metropolitan Opera honored Pinza by dedicating all the water fountains at the new Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) to him. Before his retirement from opera, his repertoire consisted of some 95 classical roles.

Q: When did he start performing in operas?
A: Pinza's Metropolitan Opera debut occurred in November 1926

Q: Was he immediately successful?
A: unknown

Q: Has he worked with anyone notable?
A: with famed American soprano Rosa Ponselle

Q: What other operas has he been a success in?
A: Figaro (in 1940) and Sarastro (in 1942)

Q: Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
A: Pinza retired from the Metropolitan Opera in 1948.
What operas did he perform at the Royal Opera House?
unknown unknown unknown
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