Giulio Bertola | La Scala chorus leader, 87
Giulio Bertola, 87, who directed the choir at Italy's famed La Scala theater in 1983-91, died Sunday after a long illness, the opera house said Tuesday in Milan.
He directed the choir for eight La Scala opera premieres, including Verdi's
Guglielmo Tell
and Rossini's
I Vespri Siciliani
under artistic director Riccardo Muti.
Before joining La Scala, Bertola directed its choir for Muti's May 1983 concert for Pope John Paul II.
- AP