Lazzaro Ferrari

Moved to El Paso, Texas in the 1960s after years of travel singing opera and individual repertoire concerts around the world, in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Russia, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, and many other countries. Born near Milan, he grew up on a farm. He lived in Paris for many years. After settling in El Paso with his Colombian wife, he became a singing teacher to generations of primarily Latino voice students and at the age of 87 in 2012, was still teaching in his modest home and producing student concerts in El Paso libraries and churches regularly. He speaks fluent Spanish as well as Italian and English. His voice students all call him "Maestro," and he is beloved by all of them. One of his former students is his own son, Angelo Ferrari, who is himself a professional opera singer based in Houston but singing in Europe, Central America and South America regularly, as well as in the United States. His daughter, who lives next door to the Maestro and his wife, is a talented ballet dancer. Her two young sons, his grandsons, are both voice students of the Maestro.