hiː stˈʌdid wɪð ælfɹˈeɪdoʊ lætˈæɹoʊ, ænd, ˈæftɚ wˈɪnɪŋ ɐn ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl vˈɔɪs kˈɑːntɛst, hiː mˌeɪd hɪz deɪbjˈuː ɪn spɑːlˈiːɾoʊ, æz ɹʌɡˈɛɹoʊ ɪn lˌæ ɹˈɑːndiːn, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː.
He studied with Alfredo Lattaro, and, after winning an international voice contest, he made his debut in Spoleto, as Ruggero in La rondine, in 1962.