The Italian soprano Renata Scotto has died aged 89, the mayor of her hometown has said, as fellow musicians paid tribute to "one of the greatest opera singers of all time".
"A unique singer, a great musician, a great artist, a great woman has died," the mayor of Savona, Marco Russo, wrote on Facebook, praising Scotto as "cultured, refined, generous, simple".
She died at her home in New York, the ANSA news agency said.
Born on 24 February 1934 in northwest Italy, Scotto studied singing in Milan and began her career in 1952 in Savona in Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata.
She would go on to grace the world's greatest opera houses, from Milan to London and New York.
"I am heartbroken by the death of Renata Scotto, one of the greatest opera singers of all time and a dedicated teacher of young singers," tenor Placido Domingo said on social media.
🙏🏻💔 Heartbroken by the passing of Renata Scotto, one of the greatest opera singers of all times, a dedicated teacher to young singers, and to me personally, one of my most frequent partners on stage with well over 100 performances together throughout our careers, and above… pic.twitter.com/H5hsUeaXPW
— Placido Domingo (@PlacidoDomingo) August 16, 2023
Source: AFP
