Dario was singing and dancing as early as five years old. He was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York and studied the Bel Canto style of singing with the one of the greatest voice teachers of Italy -Maestro Pertilo. Dario remained in Italy for many years perfecting his craft before embarking onto the world scene.After the war, Dario retired from opera and began devoting time to fine art painting. He studied art in his beloved Italy, Paris and the USA with the great American artist Griegh, who was a protege and student of the great Frederic Waugh. Dario become a superb portrait artist, capturing the souls on canvas of actor John Carradine, attorney F. Lee Bailey and Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia to name a few. However, his greatest love was painting the sea. He become known as the artist who could "Sing high C's and paint high seas". All his paintings are prized by collectors world wide and considered by many as national treasures. He was also a member of the Copley Art Society.
After 911, Dario did his final public performance with a commercial for California Tourism, appearing in his famous tuxedo shirt and gypsy vest picking grapes at the world renown Firestone Winery, while singing the ever popular aria "0 Sole Mio" by Capurro.
Dario was the Lead Tenor in some of the greatest operas of all time: La Boheme by Puccini; Verdi's Rigoletto and Leon Cavallo's dramatic "Pagliacci". He has performed these operas at the famous La Scalla in Milan, the Theater Comique in Paris, as well as in Rome and Florence and movies and television.
After returning to the U.S., Dario performed at the Met in New York with Rudolph Bing at the Hippodrama, and with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Later, Dario performed with the great composer Rudolph Frimil, as Dario's accompanist.
With the outbreak of World War II, Dario joined the USO and performed throughout the European and Pacific theaters. He gave 98 performances before 71,340 troops. In August 16, 1945 after the war, Dario received a letter from the War Department of the United States of thanks, gratitude and appreciation expressed by thousands of allied officers and enlisted men who attended his shows. The letter signed by Colonel Leon Ward F.A. Dario said of his greatest songs that the soldiers enjoyed the most was "Ave Maria" and "0 Sole Mio". General Wainwright praised Dario and said that "Dario helped win the war by singing to his soldiers, keeping up the moral and from the tensions of war.
Dario was married to the former Rosemary Ashby, a descendant of the Ashby Castle in England, who also was and accomplished dancer and actress. Her stage name was " Fiama" and was a celebrated dancer until she retired to devote her time to husband and three sons; Patrick, Richard and Dario III. All three have become excellent musicians and in many professional venues was accompanied by both Richard on the guitar and Patrick with the piano. Dario is quoted as saying that, " Patrick was the best piano accompanist he ever had."
Dario was a true to his soul and artist all his life. His talents as singer and painter lives on in his work in oils on canvas, and the melodious recordings enjoyed today by the multitudes of fans of his work. Some critics say that he was the best tenor since Caruso. He sang and painted until he crossed over to his new adventure in 2002 and joined the Greats in heaven, in the greatest aria of all.
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