Between 1942 and 1951, Lanza gave more than 130 concerts and recitals throughout the USA (including Hawaii), and in Canada and Mexico. During this period, he also sang two operatic roles, appearing twice as Fenton in Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Berkshire Music Festival in Tanglewood in August 1942, and twice as Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the New Orleans Opera in April 1948. In addition, he appeared as Rodolfo in two specially staged performances of Act III of Puccini’s La Bohème at Tanglewood in August 1942.

Between July 1947 and May 1948, Lanza sang 86 concerts with soprano Frances Yeend and bass-baritone George London as part of the Bel Canto Trio. Sadly, there are no known recordings of the Trio’s performances—or, for that matter, of any of Mario’s operatic appearances. Lanza was, however, recorded in concert with Yeend at the Hollywood Bowl in 1947, as well as on a live radio broadcast in 1945. There also exists a recording of the Bel Canto Trio together performing an audition for NBC chief David Sarnoff in 1948; this is an extract from Act IV of La Bohème, and was sung in English in anticipation of an Opera in English series on NBC-TV.

After 1951, Lanza’s live performances were much less frequent. He sang live on one television show in the USA (Shower of Stars, CBS, 1954), performed twice at the London Palladium in 1957—including one Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II—and undertook a 22-concert tour between January and April, 1958, of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany. He also appeared on the London ATV Show Saturday Spectacular in January 1958, singing three songs from his recital program. (Some of these performances can be viewed or listened to here and here.)

Please note: I have only included details of those radio shows on which Lanza—to the best of my knowledge—is singing in front of a live audience (e.g., the Edgar Bergen Show) and/or performed as a live broadcast (e.g., Great Moments in Music).