Lina Aimaro Bertasi Foundation Revives Bel Canto at Sirmione Kursaal

The peninsula beloved by Catullus reaffirms the charm that has fascinated opera singers. And thanks to the great lyric soprano Lina Aimaro Bertasi, it will also become one of the capitals of bel canto.

In fact, the renowned performer, who passed away on January 14th in San Martino della Battaglia at the age of 86, left all her assets—potentially worth many billions—to the foundation named after her. The assets of the Lina Aimaro Bertasi Foundation, recently established according to her will, include her personal belongings, furnishings, stage costumes, sheet music, and the grand building of the Kursaal located in Lugana di Sirmione, probably the largest hall in Lombardy with its 1,500 seats.

Objectives and management of the foundation

This venue, historically considered the temple of light music, will thus become the seat of the foundation, which aims to develop operatic singing, stage art, and the initiation of young people into opera music. As previously mentioned, the foundation has already been formally established. The sole administrator is Rino Volpi, according to the wishes of the late singer, who also appointed cultural advisor Mario Arduino and musical advisor Michele Nocera.

Additional advisors include Dr. Ercole Gagliano, a Verona-based accountant, and for public entities, Gabriele Busti.

Projects and initiatives

“We are operating according to Lina Aimaro’s instructions,” confirms Rino Volpi. “The first step will be completing the Kursaal Theatre, finishing the stage and dressing rooms. We will also create on the first floor a museum dedicated to Lina Aimaro Bertasi, showcasing costumes and sheet music bearing notes and signatures of prominent figures from the opera era of Aimaro’s lifetime.”

The “light” soprano, born in Turin, graduated from the Verdi Conservatory in Milan, where her family had moved in the meantime. She made her debut in 1935 at the Puccini Theatre in Milan in The Barber of Seville and performed at La Scala in 1939 with La sonnambula. In 1941, also at La Scala, she played Angelica in The Imaginary Invalid.

Later, she sang alongside Laura Volpi and Gino Bechi in Rigoletto, culminating in the unforgettable Milanese evening of The Trionfi by Carlo Orff, conducted by Herbert Von Karajan. Lina Aimaro performed on the world’s most important stages from 1935 to 1955, including the Metropolitan in New York.

Subsequently, Maria Callas, another queen of opera who, like Aimaro, spent part of her life in Sirmione, entered the scene. There, she retired, dedicating herself to teaching and building the «Kursaal». Instead of becoming a temple of opera, it was used for evening shows of light music, mainly dance music.

Now, the dream of this great soprano seems destined to come true. The foundation, in addition to the museum and the theatre’s completion, intends to promote advanced courses for young artists.