Wanda Luzzato

Wanda Luzzato was born on 6 March 1919, in Varese but her family was from Milan. She received her early music training from Ariodante Coggi (in Varese), who in the following years will be the mentor also of a young Uto Ughi.

Her mother, born Elsa Curti, was a singer - but never performed on the opera stage - married to a career officer, Angelo Vitali who left her as a war widow at only 28. She later remarried and changed her previous surname Vitali to Luzzato Carpi.

Wanda began playing the violin when she was about 3, and gave her first concert at 5. She was admitted to the Conservatory at a very young age and graduated when she was 12, thus becoming the youngest graduate of Alberto Poltronieri and apparently of all Italian Conservatories.