1919 – 2022

Biography

Lia Origoni was an internationally recognised figure in the world of music and entertainment, celebrated as one of the most talented voices of her time. An artist with a delicate yet incisive voice, she combined extraordinary vocal technique with remarkable interpretative depth, building a repertoire ranging from folk and ancient music to classical, romantic, modern and contemporary song. But her versatility was not limited to music alone. Theatre, variety shows, television: Lia perfectly embodied the image of the twentieth-century diva, with a career that took her to the most prestigious stages in the world, including the Rome Opera House, La Scala in Milan, the Wintergarten in Berlin and the Moulin Rouge, to name but a few. Throughout her career she collaborated with legends such as Totò, Anna Magnani, Tito Schipa, Piero Umiliani and Ennio Morricone, alongside a long list of artists who shaped the history of entertainment. As noted by Gian Carlo Tusceri in the biography dedicated to her, the "violetera of the Berlin Scala" traversed the entire twentieth century, transcending the limits of her time and continuing to astonish with her incredible energy and exuberance well into the following century.

Milestones

A life on stage

Early years and debut

1919 – 1938

Early years and debut

Born on 20 October 1919, Lia grew up in a family with a deep inclination for the arts, including her uncle Giacomino Origoni, one of the first actors of Italian silent cinema.

From an early age, Lia developed a passion for singing. In 1934, following a chance encounter with tenor Bernardo De Muro, she decided to abandon her violin studies and devote herself entirely to music. In 1938 she won a scholarship to the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, thus beginning her musical career.

International career and experimental television

1939 – 1960

International career and experimental television

Lia Origoni was one of the first voices to emerge in experimental Italian television. In 1939, she signed her first contract with the Ente Italiano Audizioni Radiofoniche (today RAI), becoming the first Italian artist to take part in experimental television broadcasts — a milestone that marked a fundamental step in the development of television in Italy.

In the years that followed, Lia performed at the most prestigious theatres in Europe, collaborating with legends such as Totò, Anna Magnani and Macario. Her debut at the Teatro Valle in Rome in 1940, in the revue Quando meno te l'aspetti, was just the beginning of a career that took her to Berlin, Paris, Milan and beyond. In 1948 she signed a contract with RAI, where she dedicated herself to radio programmes focused on international folk music, consolidating her role as a cultural innovator and communicator.

Recognition and private life

2003 – 2022

Recognition and private life

Despite her international success, Lia chose to live away from the spotlight, devoting herself to music and culture with great discretion. Her passion for art and her curiosity about the world never left her, and over the years she explored new fields, including English language teaching and educational innovation. One of her most remarkable endeavours in later life was the recovery and digitisation of her music — a project she began at the age of 84 and carried out with devoted self-taught dedication. This painstaking work made it possible to recover, from tapes held in the RAI archives, over 250 recordings that would otherwise have been lost for ever. This project gave Lia a second life, and gifted future generations with an invaluable cultural heritage. Her personal archive — comprising over 250 recordings, period posters, photographs, artistic contracts, stage costumes and scores — convinced the Archival Superintendency of Sardinia to protect it as a national archival heritage of public interest. This important recognition led to the formal protection of the archive, which will be made available to scholars and the public and will, in time, become a museum and centre for study and research, in accordance with Lia's own wishes.
Death and commemorations

2022

Death and commemorations

Lia Origoni passed away in La Maddalena on 27 October 2022. Her final farewell took place in the council chamber of the Municipality of La Maddalena, where friends, family and citizens had the opportunity to pay tribute to her extraordinary life and career. In 2022, the Teatro Fortezza i Colmi in La Maddalena was named in her memory, on the occasion of a moving lyric-symphonic performance. This tribute celebrated her historic participation, on 25 July 1939, in the first contract with the Ente Italiano Audizioni Radiofoniche, which marked the beginning of experimental television broadcasts and the forerunners of the future RAI. The dedication of the theatre represented a heartfelt homage to her greatness as an artist and as a woman — ahead of her time, ever curious and devoted to art.

The book

Discover her full story

Lia Origoni – Among the Legends of 20th-Century European Theatre

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