John Serge

Born Sergio Sciancalepore in Australia into a family of Italian immigrants, he was only 19 when he won a few singing competitions and could leave for Milano for further vocal studies. He had a short period of prime in the 1960s, when he sang main roles (primarily belcanto, but also Mozart) at the Glyndebourne and Camden festivals and with Opera Australia; but eventually, his voice was simply too small for a solo career, and he became a chorister at Opera Australia, and later a TV actor.