Mario Del Monaco is one of the singers that often springs to mind when people talk about the Golden Age of Singing. Born on July 27, 1915 to an upper-class family in Florence, he graduated from the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro. It was there that he met Renata Tebaldi, with whom he would form an operatic “dream team” later in {…}
Carol Vaness’ is one of the United States’ great sopranos of the late 20th century. Born on July 27, 1952, in San Diego, she was off and running in her mid-20s when she first appeared with the San Francisco Opera. She earned her Bachelor of Arts at the California State Polytechnic University and her Masters at California State University Northridge. {…}
“Parsifal,” which premiered on July 26, 1882, is Wagner’s final opera, and for many, his greatest. It is undeniably unique in its conception, the work created with the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in mind (the Festspielhaus was conversely created for the “Ring” operas). Wagner actually conceived the work in 1857 but did not complete it for 25 years and is often regarded {…}
“Einstein on the Beach,” which had its world premiere on July 25, 1976 at the Avignon Festival, is one of Philip Glass’ famous operas. It is the first of the “Portrait Trilogy” which also includes “Akhnaten” and “Satyagraha.” The work aims to explore the character of Einstein across a unique dramatic landscape. The work was created in collaboration with Robert {…}
For many, there has never been a more beautiful lyric tenor voice than that of Giuseppe di Stefano. Luciano Pavarotti once stated that, “Di Stefano is my idol. There is a solar voice… It was the most incredible, open voice you could hear. The musicality of di Stefano is as natural and beautiful as the voice is phenomenal.” Born on July 24, {…}
Of the major American singers to appear onstage in the late 20th century, Susan Graham is one that has stood out among the crowd. Born in Roswell, New Mexico, she was a graduate of the Texas Tech University and Manhattan School of Music. Her early career was filled with major success as she took home the top prizes in the {…}
Francesco Cilea, born on July 23, 1866, is yet another Italian composer of the Verismo era that is known today for one major work. He was born in Palmi and was destined for a musical career from the moment he heard “Norma” at the age of four. He studied at the Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella, earning a gold {…}
There are only a few artists that have starred throughout the 21st century that could truly find themselves critic-proof. Anja Harteros is one of them. The German soprano, born on July 23, 1972, started voice training at age 14 in Gummersbach while still in school. Even before she had graduated high school, she was already performing concerts and by the {…}
Licia Albanese was one of the most influential sopranos of the 1900s. Born on July 22, 1909, in a quarter of Bari Italy, she would make her professional debut sometime in the mid-1930s (there has always been some controversy on when her true professional debut came about). But she did make her official La Scala debut in 1935 (she made {…}
Aldo Protti is one of the great baritones of the 20th century, and yet he doesn’t always get that much recognition. Born on July 19, 1920, Protti often found himself in the shadow of Tito Gobbi and Ettore Bastiani, though he admittedly had some major exploits of his own. He studied in Parma and made his debut in 1948 in {…}
Few artists have dedicated themselves so extensively to challenging modern music the way Dawn Upshaw has. The soprano, born on July 17, 1960, in Nashville, Tennessee, became the first female to ever be promoted to the top choir as a sophomore at the Richard East High School. After successful years of study, she became a member of the Metropolitan Opera {…}
