Hailing from a musical family (both his grandmother and mother sang, and his father played several instruments) at the age of fifteen Nucci commenced studies with Mario Bigazzi, vocalising daily, and between 1959 and 1968 worked with Giuseppe Marchesi. Having won several singing competitions in 1965 and 1966, in 1967 he not only made his operatic stage debut (as Figaro / Il barbiere di Siviglia), but also won the Adriano Belli Competition for young opera singers, both at Spoleto.

In 1969 Nucci joined the chorus of La Scala, Milan where he remained until 1976. While at La Scala, he studied the title role in Rigoletto with Ottaviano Bizzarri and won the Viotti International Music Competition of Vercelli in 1973. He also enjoyed great ...