 While in the army, he came to the notice of the conductor Antonino Votto, and subsequently studied with Ettore Campogalliani in Parma, Renato Pastorino in Milan and Valentino Metti in Piacenza.He made his stage debut at the Teatro Municipale in Piacenza, as Cavaradossi in "Tosca", in 1954.He quickly sang widely in Italy and various European opera houses, as
well as in South America, before making his debut on November 29, 1957, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, as Alvaro in "La forza del destino", where he sang thirteen roles in eight seasons, including Alfredo in "La traviata", Manrico in "Il trovatore", and Radamès in "Aïda".