Vico Torriani

Vico Torriani, born Ludovico Oxens Torriani on September 21, 1920, died on February 26, 1998, was a Swiss entertainer, known as a pop singeractor, showmaster and cookbook author. Born in Geneva and raised in St. Moritz and Oberrüti, he began performing at an early age and later worked as an innkeeper and cookbook author. He began his musical career after a talent competition in 1945; he enjoyed great success with hits such as Silberfäden and La Pastorella.

In addition to numerous recordings, he appeared in films, operettas and musicals. On television, he presented shows such as Der goldene Schuss and Hotel Victoria. Torriani was honored with the Bambi Lifetime Award together with Caterina Valente and Helmut Zacharias. His memory is honored by the musical Hotel Victoria, among others.

Torriani grew up as the son of a riding and ski instructor in St. Moritz and Oberrüti. After school, he trained as a confectioner, chef and waiter. He was already performing at private concerts at the age of 15 and developed a passion for music at an early age. He later became a self-employed restaurateur and ran the “Bonne Auberge” restaurant in Basel, among others. He also made a name for himself as a cookbook author. Between 1929 and 1933, he lived on a farm in Oberrüti with his sister, as was only revealed in 2017.

His musical career began during his military service, when he performed at comradeship evenings. After winning a talent competition in 1945, he toured Europe and received his first engagement in 1946. He made his breakthrough in Switzerland in 1949 with the song Silberfäden, and had his first major success in Germany in 1951 with Addio, donna grazia. In the 1950s and 1960s, Vico Torriani was a star in numerous musical films and operettas. He celebrated his greatest success in 1976 with La Pastorella, an evergreen of German popular music.

Torriani appeared on television from 1952. He presented his own programs such as Grüezi, Vico and Hotel Victoria. Between 1967 and 1970, he was the host of the ZDF show Der goldene Schuss and appeared in other television productions such as the Tatort episode Drei Schlingen.

Torriani received numerous awards for his musical achievements, including the Bambi Lifetime Award in 1995 and the Honorary Prix Walo. His legacy lives on in the musical Hotel Victoria, which premiered in St. Moritz in 2016.

With his wife Evelyne, whom he married in 1952, he had two children, Nicole and Reto. Torriani died in 1998 at the age of 77 and was buried in Lugano.

Movies with Vico Torriani

• 1952 The colorful dream
• 1952 My wife does stupid things
• 1953 Street serenade
• 1954 Guitars of love
• 1955 A heart full of music
• 1956 Santa Lucia (with Eva Kerbler)
• 1957 The Lisbon Tourist Guide
• 1957 Seven times a week
• 1957 Dreams of the South Seas
• 1958 The black flash
• 1958 The Star of Santa Clara
• 1960 Hit rockets
• 1960 O sole mio
• 1961 Robert and Bertram
• 1962 Must I go out to the city
• 1962 As great as in the old days
• 1964 The whole world is sky blue/Red lips shall be kissed
• 1965 Welcome Brother Paleface

Studio albums by Vico Torriani

• 1959 Good evening, Vico
• 1959 Vico International
• 1961 Love, dance and 1000 dreams
• 1961 Melodies made in USA
• 1961 Swiss Folklore
• 1962 At Vico’s in the bar
• 1963 Sing with Vico
• 1964 Sing with Vico 02
• 1965 Mr. Musical – Monsieur Chanson
• 1966 Extrablatt – Vico brand new
• 1966 Christmas in Europe
• 1967 Vico’s sounding recipes
• 1967 Im weißen Rössl
• 1968 Can-Can
• 1968 Quietly
• 1968 Songs from our homeland (with Lisa della Casa)
• 1968 When the Vico on the Danube
• 1969 Buona sera, Vico
• 1975 Allegra – Allegra
• 1975 Do you remember?
• 1976 La Pastorella – Songs of the mountains with Vico Torriani
• 1976 Vico sings for you
• 1977 Vico today
• 1978 My most beautiful Advent and Christmas songs
• 1979 Vico in the mountains
• 1979 Pearls of forgotten songs (with the Seitz siblings)
• 1982 Cordialities
• 1984 Time for tenderness
• 1986 Wonderful Christmas time
• 1987 Grüezi, grüezi together
• 1990 Magic world of the mountains
• 1991 Count the friends, not the years
• 1995 Simply thank you – My 20 greatest hits