The possessor of a large voice, Italian tenor Gino Penno was at home in the heavier tenor repertory: Turandot, Ernani, Trovatore, Aida, Pagliacci, and even Wagner's Lohengrin and La Walkiria. He partnered Maria Callas a few times in the early 1950s in Norma, Macbeth, Trovatore and Medea at various theatres in Italy, La Scala included, and also sang at the Met in the period 1953-1955.

Gino Penno was born in Felizzano in Piemont in 1920. He studied voice in Italy under Ettore Campogalliano from 1944 and two years later won first prize in La Scala's singing competition, which allowed him entrance into the theatre's Scuola di Canta. After a series of comprimario roles at La Scala, he sang his first leading role in in Venezia in September 1949 as Alwa in Alban Berg's Lulu, and sang his first lead at La Scala with Floreski in Cherubini's Lodoïska in March 1950, together with Cavardossi in Tosca. In the early 1950s he became known in Italy as a vastly competent Heldentenor, singing La Valkiria at the Arena di Verona in July 1950 and Lohengrin in Roma in August the same year. He also partnered the new Diva, Maria Callas, in Norma, Macbeth, Trovatore and Medea, in various theatres in Italy.

In 1951 his career took an international turn, appearing at the Grand Opéra Paris, followed by Rio de Janeiro, Monte Carlo and the Teatro Liceo of Barcelona. In 1953 he was hired at the Met, where he sang untill 1955¹, in a repertory that included Norma, La Forza del Destino, Il Trovatore, Aida and Pagliacci. In 1955 he sang at the Covent Garden in London and returned to Paris' Grand Opéra for a successful Tosca.

By the end of the 1950s he was gone from the international opera scene. It has been reported that he wished to complete his law studies and left the stage for a career as a lawyer. Other reports claim he had developed a hearing problem and was growing deaf. He shall have ended up at La Scala as a Librarian. A third theory is that relentless singing surely had taken its toll; Penno's voice had finished prematurely, forcing him to abandon his singing career. Whatever the reasons, Penno disappeared after less than ten active years.

Gino Penno passed away in Milano 8 February 1998, at 77 years of age.

Notes:
¹ Penno lost his voice in a performance of Il Trovatore at the Met, allegedly the reason for why his engagement was not renewed after the 2nd year in New York.