Maurice Stern (Mauro Lampi) is an American operatic tenor and sculptor. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music. He made his debut at the New York City Opera as The Emperor Altuom in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, and received a laudatory solo review by Eric Salzman of The New York Times for that small role. Stern progressed from small character parts to the lyric tenor roles of Don Ottavio, Belmonte, The Duke in Rigoletto, Roméo, Rodolfo, Pinkerton, and Cavaradossi. He then played great dramatic tenor roles, including Otello, Radames, Canio, Don José, Calaf, Manrico, Don Alvaro, Andrea Chenier, Samson, Dick Johnson, Bacchus, Lohengrin and Tannhäuser. During his international career, he also studied with Franco Corelli in New York City. Stern performed in opera houses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and China. He received critical acclaim for his singing, his acting and character delineation, and his portrait sculpture and works on paper. Stern now performs as a duo with his wife, and continues his work in the visual arts. Life and career Early studies Stern's vocal training began at age 14 in New York City with Eduardo Battente, a tenor graduate of the Naples Conservatory. Stern learned the roles of The Duke in Rigoletto; Nemorino in Don Pasquale and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor. Stern attended the High School of Music and Art, now known as Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. During his years there, he performed regularly as a super (non-singing extra) at the Metropolitan Opera. At 17, Stern performed the leading role of Mr. Scratch (The Devil) in the High School of Music and Art's production of The Devil and Daniel Webster at Hunter College's Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse, with composer Douglas Moore attending. Moore expressed his astonishment that such a young singer could interpret the role so powerfully. Stern received the Voice Award upon graduating. Stern married fellow vocal student Barbara Cagnazzo, an aspiring soul singer. During the Korean War, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Germany, where he continued vocal study, gave concerts at the Amerika Haus in Heidelberg. On returning to the U.S., he continued his studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and became a father to his first two children, sons Robert (1952) and Stephen (1954). He received the McCurdy Scholarship for Juniors. He