Raymond Maurel

Born in Florence, Italy he was raised in Chile until seven years old when the family fled a disastrous earthquake. Before he was a singer, he well known in New York musical circles as the assistant to Gatti-Casazza, impresario of the Metropolitan Opera House. He worked for five years for Gatti-Casazza, all the while secretly training his voice. He chose the screen for his first appearance as a baritone, singing in several important sound films with Grace Moore and Lawrence Tibbett. Then, made his operatic debut in Milan at La Scala, singing in Andrea Chenier with Gigli. Later, he appeared in other important opera houses of Italy, singing in Tosca, Carmen and Aida, and Cavalleria. He became one of the most popular artists on the radio and we believe he sang on the radio for many years in the golden years of early radio. Mario's sister, Fedora Cozzi, was married to Miguel Sandoval, a composer and pianist. Works included Si Tu Amor. Mario's second wife, Anna Gregoretti, was the daughter of Adamo Gregoretti. The annals of the Italian and South American opera houses refer to Adamo over many seasons as singing first rank baritone roles from Figaro to Iago. Luisa Tetrazzini worked with him in Italy and South America, loved his voice and convinced him to come to America to sing with her at the Tivoli Opera House in San Francisco, where he sung Figaro to her Rosina in her first Barbiere there. He moved to New York, where he set himself up as a vocal pedagogue, teaching many students including baritone Alfredo Chigi and the inscribee choral director Princess Margareta Agreneva-Slaviansky, the daughter of Pince Dimitri Agreneva-Slaviansky, the Director of the first great Russian touring choral group. Mario's daughter, Fiora Cozzi is a great American artist, painting since she was 17 and Mario's grandson, Loris Lamonte Cozzi, is a children's artist.