Renée Fleming, born on February 14, 1959, would become one of, if not the most, prominent American soprano in recent history. The Pennsylvania native grew up in New York and kicked off her studies at SUNY Potsdam. She would receive her Master’s Degree at the Eastman School of Music and subsequently earned a Fulbright scholarship to study with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf {…}
Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato is a true American superstar. Born on Feb. 13, 1969 in Prairie Village, Kansas, the mezzo initially headed to Wichita State University to study vocal education. However, she became more interested in singing and performing and upon graduating in 1992, she headed the Academy of Vocal Arts which she followed up with enrollment in the Santa Fe {…}
Soprano Gilda Cruz-Romo is one of the great Mexican opera singers to enjoy an international career. Born on Feb. 12, 1940, Cruz-Romo would study at the Mexico City Conservatory before making her debut at in Mexico City in 1962. Seven years later she appeared at the New York City, which would lead directly to a Met debut a year later. {…}
Italian Franco Zeffirelli is one of the great opera directors of the 20th century. Born on Feb. 12, 1923, in Florence Italy, he lost his mother at age six. He graduated the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze in 1941 and fought during World War II. Once the war ended he resumed his studies. He initially set out to study art {…}
Paata Burchuladze was a famed bass before he became a famed politician. Born on Feb. 12, 1955, in then-Soviet Georgia, he studied music at the Tbilisi Conservatoire and made his student debut in 1976. He would then make his mark at a number of singing competitions and performed a number of roles at the Tbilisi Opera House. From 1978-1981 he {…}
Of Donizetti’s major comedies, “La Fille du Régiment” is a unique work. Debuting on Feb. 11, 1840, this is one of the few French-language operas by Donizetti in the standard repertory. It was also his first opera set to French text. It has remained a fixture of the standard repertory over the years. There is an Italian-language version, but it {…}
Leontyne Price is one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century. Born on Feb. 10, 1927 in Mississippi, she began piano lessons with a local teacher. She slowly built up some recognition in town for her musical skills, though she seemed destined for a teaching career early on. However, at the Wilberforce College, she was encouraged to study voice {…}
Cesare Siepi, born on Feb. 10, 1923, would go on to become an iconic Italian bass of the post-war era. A number of details about his early years (including the year of his birth) remain interesting mysteries. While it is known that he kicked off his career as a singer performing with a madrigal group, there remains debate on whether {…}
Adelina Patti, or Adela Juana Maria Patti, was born on February 10, 1843 in Madrid, Spain and would go from being a child prodigy to one of the greatest sopranos of all time. Her parents were opera singers and from the earliest years of her training, her instructors had believed that Patti had the potential to to become one of {…}
There are a number of operas in the standard repertory that were unfinished at the time of their respective composers’ death, but none is perhaps more famous that “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” by Jacques Offenbach. The work had its world premiere on Feb. 10, 1881 and by December it had already reached 100 performances. It has never had a difficult time {…}
Hildegard Behrens, born on Feb. 9, 1937, was one of the great exponents of the dramatic German repertory in the late 20th century. Born in Varel, Germany, she actually kicked off her professional life in Law School before eventually turning her attention to singing. She attended the Freiburg Academy of Music and made her debut in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” {…}