| Biography | Paolo Silveri (b. Ofena, December 28, 1913 - d. Rome, July 3, 2001) was an Italian baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, one of the finest Verdi baritones of his time.Silveri studied first in Capestrano (L'Aquila) then in Rome with Perugini and later with Riccardo Stracciari and the bass Giulio Cirino (father of Silveri's wife Delia), making his debut there as a bass in 1939.
After further studies, he made new debut as a baritone in 1944, as Germont in Rome.
Thereafter, he rapidly sang throughout Italy, notably at the San Carlo in Naples, and La Scala in Milan, debut as de Luna in 1949. Also appeared at the Royal Opera House in London, in 1946, and at the Paris Opéra, debut in 1951, as Renato. He made his debut in the USA at the Metropolitan Opera in 1950, as Don Giovanni with Fritz Reiner conductor, he also sang Rigoletto and Posa there.
He attempted the role of Otello in 1959, but quickly reverted to baritone roles. He was especially noted for his great interpretations of Verdi operas and some other roles as Scarpia (Tosca), Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Guglielmo Tell and Don Govanni.
He can be heard on complete recordings of Nabucco, La traviata, Simon Boccanegra, Don Carlo, La Gioconda, and Tosca.
Silveri retired from the stage in 1968 after a last performance of Rigoletto in Budapest with his daughter Silvia in the role of Gilda, and taught in Rome, where he died at age 87 in the summer of 2001.
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