Ayres Borghi Zerni (Soprano) (Buenos Ayres 1895 - ?)

Her father was Italian tenor Edgardo Zerni, her nephew soprano Adele Borghi. She studied singing under Bonanno and made her debut in 1914 at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan as Micaela in ‘’Carmen’’. In the 1916-17 season she made guest appearances at the Teatro Nazionale in  Havana. In 1918 she sang at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, in 1919 at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. In 1919 she appeared with success at the Covent Garden in London as Violetta in G. Verdi’s ‘’La Traviata’’. In 1920 she sang at the Teatro Del Casinò in Monte Carlo; here she sang among other things the role of Gilda in ‘’Rigoletto’’ as a partner of Benjamino Gigli and performed on 20. 3. 1920 in the premiere of the opera ‘’Satan’’ by Raoul Gunsbourg. In 1920 she appeared as a guest in Zurich. In 1922 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome she sang with success the role of Violetta in G. Verdi’s ‘’La Traviata’’. She retired from the stage in 1928. Her stage repertoire included roles like the Rosina in G. Rossini’s ‘’Barbiere di Siviglia’’, Elvira in ‘’I Puritani’’ by Bellini and Amina in V. Bellini’s ‘’La Sonnambula’’.

Chronology of some appearances

1914 Milan Teatro Dal Verme

1916 Havana Teatro Nazionale

1917 Havana Teatro Nazionale

1918 Bergamo Teatro Donizetti

1919 Palermo Teatro Massimo

1919 London Covent Garden

1920 Monte Carlo Teatro Del Casinò

1922 Rome Teatro Costanzi

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Milano 1916

Rigoletto (Verdi): with Carlo Broccardi, Giuseppe Danise, Vincenzo Bettoni, Nelda Garrone, Giuseppe Sala and Napoleone Limonta

Columbia, Milano 1924/1925

Traviata (Verdi): Ah, fors'è lui D5396 B399

Traviata (Verdi): Sempre libera D5396 B400