Carlo Bergonzi (tenor)
Carlo Bergonzi was born on July 13, 1924, and died on July 25, 2014. He was an Italian operatic tenor who performed and recorded roles from the bel canto and verismo styles. However, he was most known for singing operas by Giuseppe Verdi, including many of Verdi’s less well-known operas that he helped bring back to the stage.
Alfredo Kraus
Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈfɾeðo kɾaws tɾuˈxiʎo]; born November 24, 1927; died September 10, 1999) was a well-known Spanish tenor from the Canary Islands. He was professionally known as Alfredo Kraus. He was especially famous for his skill in singing roles from operas that use a style called bel canto.
José Carreras
José Carreras, born on December 5, 1946, is a Spanish opera singer known for performing high-pitched parts in operas by composers such as Donizetti, Verdi, and Puccini. He was born in Barcelona and first performed in an opera at age 11 as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla’s El retablo de Maese Pedro. Over his career, he performed more than 60 different roles in famous opera houses around the world and recorded many musical performances.
Plácido Domingo
José Plácido Domingo Embil was born on January 21, 1941. He is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded more than 100 complete operas and is known for his ability to perform in many languages, including Italian, French, German, Spanish, English, and Russian.
Leontyne Price
Leontyne Price, born Mary Violet Leontine Price on February 10, 1927, is an American singer. She was the first African-American soprano to gain international recognition. From 1961, she worked closely with the Metropolitan Opera, becoming the first Black singer to have a long-term relationship with the company.
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian soprano singer who helped revive the bel canto music style from the late 1950s to the 1980s. Her voice had many strengths, including quick movements, precise pitch, sharp, short notes, fast, repeated notes, and powerful high notes. However, some critics said she had trouble pronouncing words clearly.
Birgit Nilsson
Märta Birgit Nilsson was born on May 17, 1918, and passed away on December 25, 2005. She was a Swedish dramatic soprano, a type of opera singer known for singing powerful and high-pitched roles. Nilsson performed many different types of operatic and vocal music, but she was most famous for singing operas by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.
Victoria de los Ángeles
Victoria de los Ángeles López García was born on November 1, 1923, and passed away on January 15, 2005. She was a Spanish soprano singer and recitalist, meaning she performed solo concerts. Her career began after World War II, and she became most famous between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s.
Maria Callas
Maria Callas Commendatore OMRI (born Maria Anna Cecilia Sophia Kalogeropoulou; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American soprano. Critics praised her special singing style, wide vocal range, and dramatic performances. She performed many types of operas, including classical opera seria, bel canto works by Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, as well as operas by Verdi and Puccini.
Renata Tebaldi
Renata Tebaldi OMRI was born on February 1, 1922, and passed away on December 19, 2004. She was an Italian soprano singer who became well-known after World War II. She was especially famous for performing at La Scala, San Carlo, and the Metropolitan Opera.