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Peerce, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Peerce, Jan, 1904–85, American tenor, b. New York City as Jacob Pincus Perelmuth. Discovered by Arturo Toscanini, who chose him to be a soloist in a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Peerce...

Destinn, Emmy

(Encyclopedia)Destinn, Emmy (Ema Kittl) dĕsˈtĭn [key], 1878–1930, Czechoslovakian soprano. She debuted in Berlin in 1898 before singing the title role in the London production of Madame Butterfly in 1905. She ...

Damrosch, Leopold

(Encyclopedia)Damrosch, Leopold, 1832–85, German conductor. After taking a degree in medicine, he became (1857) first violinist in the ducal orchestra at Weimar, where he was a friend of Liszt and Wagner. In 1871...

Cimarosa, Domenico

(Encyclopedia)Cimarosa, Domenico dōmĕˈnēkō chēmärôˈzä [key], 1749–1801, Italian operatic composer. He wrote almost 80 operas, which were successfully produced in Rome, Naples, Vienna, and St. Petersburg...

Farrar, Geraldine

(Encyclopedia)Farrar, Geraldine fərärˈ [key], 1882–1967, American operatic soprano, b. Melrose, Mass.; pupil of Lilli Lehmann. She made her debut in Europe (1901) and sang at the Metropolitan Opera, New York C...

Guérin, Jules

(Encyclopedia)Guérin, Jules gĕrˈĭn [key], 1866–1946, American mural painter and illustrator, b. St. Louis. His illustrations appeared in leading magazines. He executed decorations for the Lincoln Memorial, Wa...

Nézet-Séguin, Yannick

(Encyclopedia)Nézet-Séguin, Yannick, 1975–, Canadian conductor and pianist. After studying piano at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, Montreal, and choral conducting at the Westminster Choir College, Pri...

Mascagni, Pietro

(Encyclopedia)Mascagni, Pietro pyāˈtrō mäskäˈnyē [key], 1863–1945, Italian operatic composer. He is known for his opera Cavalleria rusticana (1890), based on the tale by Giovanni Verga; it is a classic exa...

White, Clarence Cameron

(Encyclopedia)White, Clarence Cameron, 1880–1960, American composer and violinist, b. Clarksville, Tenn., studied at the Oberlin Conservatory and in Europe. In addition to activities as violinist and teacher in B...

Zuccarelli, Francesco

(Encyclopedia)Zuccarelli, Francesco fränchĕsˈkō tso͞ok-kärĕlˈlē [key], 1702–88, Florentine landscape painter and decorator. He twice visited London, where he decorated the Opera House and was well known ...

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