Historic Opera

S I N G E R S - C

Capecchi, Renato: Italian baritone (Cairo, Egypt: 6 Nov 1923 - Milan: 30 Jun 1998).
Cappelli, Bettino: (near Florence - ?): Italian tenor. He studied in Florence with Vincenzo Vannini. Debut (1907) in Traviata at Persio Flacco House in Volterra.
Cappuccilli, Piero: Baritone (9 Nov 1929)
Capsir, Mercedes: Spanish coloratura soprano (20 Jul 1897 - 13 Mar 1969)
Caradori-Allan, Maria [Caterina Rosalbina - born de Munck]: Alsatian soprano (1800 - 15 Oct 1865)
Carelli, Emma: Italian soprano (12 May 1877- 17 Aug 1928)
Carestini, Giovanni: Italian male soprano (1705 - 1759)
Carey, Clive: English baritone (30 May 1883 - ?)
Cariosio, Margherita: Italian soprano (1908 - )
Carlotta, Mdm: Soprano ( ) Paris Opéra 1912 as part of the Monte Carlo troupe.
Caro-Lucas, Mdm: Mezzo-soprano ( ): Paris Opéra debut as Brangaine in Tristan und Isolde on 3 Feb 1905.
Caron, Rose Lucile [nee Meunirz]: French soprano (17 Nov 1857 - 9 Apr 1930): Created many roles in modern French Opera.
Carré, Marguerite: French soprano (16 Aug 1880 - 26 Dec 1947); First Paris Cio-Cio-San.
Carrere-Xanrof, Marugerite: Soprano ( ): Paris Opéra debut 24 Jun 1892.
Carreras, José: Tenor (5 Dec 1946)
Carroll, Christina: Soprano (9 Dec 1920-1990)
Carron, Arthur [Cox]: English tenor (1900 - 10 May 1967)
Caruso, Enrico: Italian tenor (27 Feb 1873 - 2 Aug 1921)
(Recent research indicates that Caruso was actually born on Feb 25th of 1873)**
Carvalho-Miolan, Caroline-Marie-Félix: French soprano (31 Dec 1827-1895): Wife of above.
Cary, Annie Louise: American contralto (22 Dec 1841 - 13 Apr 1921)
Caryle, Odette: French soprano (1880 - ?): Paris Opéra debut 28 Sep 1908 as Venus in Tannhauser.
Case, Anna: American soprano (29 Oct 1889 - 1984)
Casini, Lelio ( ):
Cassel, Guillaume: French singer (1794 - 1836)
Castagna, Bruna: Italian contralto (15 Oct 1905- 10 Jul 1983)
Castellan, Jeanne (Anais): French soprano (26 Oct 1819 - ?)
Castellano, Edoardo (Naples: 1871 - Rio de Janeiro: 1917):  He was born in an important noble family and he studied in Naples. Debit (1891) at Royal of Malta. He spent a long period singing in South American Houses. He died as a result of contracting a tropical illness while he was touring in Brazil.
Castelmary, Armand de Castan: Bass (16 Aug 1834 - 10 Feb 1897): Died on stage at the Met of heart attack.
Castle, William: ( ): Appeared as Thaddeus in The Bohemian Girl (4 Jan 1864: Park Theatre: Brooklyn)
Catalani, Angelica: Italian soprano (10 May 1780- 12 Jun 1849)
Catley, Gwen: English soprano (9 Feb 1910 - ?)
Causset, Mdm: Soprano ( ): Paris Opéra 1906. Small roles.
Cavalieri, Catarina: Austrian soprano (19 Feb 1760 - 30 Jun 1801)
Cavalieri, Lina: Italian soprano (25 Dec 1874 - 8 Feb 1944) Died in Florence air raid during World War II. First Met Manon Lescaut, Adriana Lecouvreur, Fedora. Marriages: (1) Russian "Prince" Bariatonsky, 1900; (2) Winthrop Chandler, 1910 (briefly); (3) Lucien Muratore, 1913; (4) Paolo d’Arvanni.
Cavara, Arthur ( ):
Cebotari, Maria: Russian soprano (10 Feb 1910- 9 Jun 1949)
Cehanovsky, George: Bass-baritone (14 Apr 1892-1986)
Ceresoli, Elvira ( ):
Cerquetti, Anita: Soprano (13 Apr 1931)
Cesbron-Viseur, Suzanne: French soprano (24 May 1879 - 24 Aug 1967)
Cessandroni, Snr A. [Alessandroni Cesare] (near Rome: - ? ): Italian Baritone/Bass. Sang in North America. He issued records for American Columbia and some cylinders for U.S. Everlasting.
Chalia, Rosalia ( ):
Chaliapin, Feodor: Russian bass (13 Feb 1873 - 12 Apr 1938)
Chambon, M.: French bass? ( )
Chamlee, Mario: American tenor (29 May 1892 - 1966)
Charbonnel, Marie: French contralto: (1880- ?): Paris Opéra 1908. Important French Wagnerian singer.
Charles-Rothier, Marie: French soprano (16 Nov 1877-?)
Charny, Lise: Mezzo-soprano (1890 - ?): Paris Opéra debut 11 Apr 1910 as Dalila in Samson et Dalila. She created a number of roles for the Paris Opéra.
Charney, Pauline: Mezzo-soprano ( ): Paris Opéra debut 10 Mar 1917 as Amneris in Aida.
Charton-Demeur, Anne: French soprano (5 Mar 1824 - 30 Nov 1892)
Chavanne, Irene von: Contralto (18 Apr 1868-1938)
Cheek, John: American bass (17 Aug 1948)
Chenal, Marthe Anthelmine: French soprano (24 Aug 1881 – 29 Jan 1947): Big career in France. On 11 Nov 1918 she sang the Marseillaise to celebrate armistice during the march through Paris.
Chevalier, Esther: Soprano ( ): Paris Opéra 1899.

Chilcott, Susan: English soprano (Bristol, U.K.: 8 Jul 1963 - Timsbury, U.K.: 4 Sep 2003). Debut Scottish Opera (1991). Breast cancer.
Chistoff, Boris: Bass-baritone (18 May 1919-1993)
Chretien-Vaguet, Alba: Soprano/mezzo (8 Mar 1872-?)
Christian, Mdm: Soprano ( ): Paris Opéra 1914.
Christoff, Johann: Tenor (1785- 10 Oct 1870)
Ciaparelli, Gina ( ): Soprano
Cigada, Francesco ( ):
Cigna, Gina: Soprano (6 Mar [or Feb] 1900 - 26 Jun 2001): Debut as Freia in Das Rheingold (La Scala (1927). Created roles in La Fiamma (Respighi: Rome, 1934); Bizancio (Panizza: Buenos Aires, 1939).
Cinti-Damoreau, Laure: Soprano (1801- 6 Feb 1863)
Cirino, Giulio: Bass (15 Feb 1880-1970)
Cisneros, Eleanora de [nee Broadfoot]: American mezzo-soprano (1 Nov 1878 [80] - 3 Feb 1934)
Citti-Lippi, Ines (Pisa: 1870 - Buenos Aires: 1917): Italian soprano: She married a Dr. Lippi who then became her manager. Debit circa 1889 at Rinnovati Costanti in Poggibonsi where she sang in I Due Foscari. In 1908 she moved to Argentina where she spent last years of her life.
Civil, Pablo: Tenor (20 Nov 1899-1987)
Clasenti, Esperanza (Avana: 1882 - Milano: 1953) At a very young age she moved to Madrid where, at fourteen years of age she graduated from the Conservatory there with an academic concentration on the piano. She also studies song there with Anotnio Ponsini. Later she moved to Milan to study with Melchiorre Vidal. Her debut came (1900) at the Sociale of Suzzara singing Desdemona in Otello. After she retired from the stage she moved to Milan and taught singing, and occasionally gave recitals recitals. She spent her last years at Casa di Riposo G.Verdi in Milan where she died.
Claussen, Julia [nee Ohlson]: Mezzo-soprano (11 Jun 1879 - 1941)
Clemens, Hans: Tenor (27 Jul 1890-1958)
Clement, Edmond: French tenor (1867- 23 Feb 1928)
Coates, Edith: Mezzo-soprano (1908- 7 Jan 1983)
Coates, John: English tenor (29 Jun 1865- 16 Aug 1941)
Cobelli, Giuseppina: Italian soprano (1 Sep 1898- 10 Aug 1948)
Colazza, Luigi (Rome: 1868 - Trieste: 1927): He studied in Rome with Aramis Toussan and later with Ranieri Baragli in Milan. He made his debu (1892) in Rome singing in Norma. After he retired from the stage he moved to Trieste where he opened a school of song. 
Colbran, Isabella: Soprano (1785- 7 Oct 1845)
Coleman, Eva Gardner: Soprano (sang at Maine Music Festival)
Collier, Marie: Soprano (16 Apr 1926 - 7 Dec 1971)
Colombo, Gino ( ):
Coltellini, Celeste: Mezzo-soprano (1760- 28 Jul 1828)
Comes, Mathilde: Mezzo-soprano ( ): Paris Opéra debut 26 Feb 1912 as Berthe in Prophète.
Conley, Eugene: Tenor (12 Mar 1908-1981)

Conner, Nadine [Evelyn Nadine Henderson]: American soprano (Compton, CA: 1906? [20 Feb 1907] - Los Alamitos, CA: 1 Mar 2003): Studied in CA and with Florence Easton in NY. She made her opera debut in Los Angeles (1940) and her New York debut (22 Dec 1941) as Pamina in an English version of Mozart's Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera. At the Met she gave 249 performances in 15 roles before last appearing in 1960. Conner was the name of her first husband who she met at the University of CA in LA. In 1939 she married Laurance Heacock (? - 1970), a surgeon.
Conolly, Claire [Croiza]: French mezzo-soprano (14 Sep 1882 – 27 May 1946): Paris Opéra 1908.
Constantino, Florencio: (Bilbao: 1869 - Mexico City: 19 Nov 1919): Spanish tenor. Debut: 7 Feb 1896: Téatro Solìs, Montevideo: La Dolores.
Corpait
Corelli, Franco: Italian tenor (8 Apr 1921 (sometimes given as 1923) - 29 Oct 2003). Debut 1951 at Spoleto, Don Jose.
Corena, Fernando: Bass (22 Dec 1916-?)
Cornelius, Peter: Tenor (21 Jan 1865 -  25 Dec 1934)
Cornell, Geynn: Mezzo-soprano (23 Mar 1938-1984)
Corot, Mdm: Mezzo-soprano ( ): Paris Opéra debut 17 Jul 1895 as Ortlinde in La Walkyrie.
Corradetti, Ferruccio: Baritone (22 Feb 1866-1939)
Corsi, Achille: Tenor (1840- 15 Apr 1906)
Corsi, Emilia: Soprano (17 Sep 1870-1927)
Corsi, Giovanni: Baritone (1822- 4 Apr 1890)
Cortis, Antonio: Spanish tenor (12 Aug 1891- 2 Apr 1952)
Cosset, Jeanne: Soprano ( ): Paris Opéra 1908.
Cossotto, Fiorenza: Italian mezzo-soprano (22 Apr 1935)
Cotogni, Antonio: Italian tenor (1 Aug 1831 - 15 Oct 1918)
Cotrubas, Ileana: Soprano (9 Jun 1939)
Courbieres, Leonie: Mezzo-soprano ( ): Debut in Rigoletto 31 Jan 1908. Secondary roles.
Courty, Mdm: Soprano ( ): Paris Opéra debut 20 Sep 1901 as Sieglinde in La Walkyrie.
Crabbé, Armand: Belgian baritone (23 Apr 1883 - 24 Jul 1947)
Craft, Marcella: American soprano (11 Aug 1880-1959)
Crespin, Regine: Soprano (23 Feb 1927)
Crimi, Guilio: Tenor (1885- 29 Oct 1939)
Crivelli, Domenico: ( ): Sang Barbiere di Siviglia (Fiorello) in New York on 17 May 1819.
Croiza, Claire [Conolly]: French mezzo-soprano (14 Sep 1882 – 27 May 1946): Paris Opéra 1908.
Crooks, Richard: American tenor (26 Jun 1900-1972)
Cros, Jane: Soprano ( ): Paris Opéra debut 21 Jan 1917 as Delorès in Patrie.
Crossley, [Dame] Ada: Australian contralto (3 Mar 1874 - 17 Oct 1929)
Cruvelli, Sofia [Crüwell]: Soprano (1824- 7 Nov 1907)
Cruz-Romo, Gilda: Soprano (Guadalajara: Mexico: 12 Feb 1940): Taught by Angel Esquivel. Debut Ortlinde (1962) in Die Walkure.
Cucini, Alice ( ): Contralto
Cuénod, Hugues-Adhémar: Tenor (26 Jun 1902-?)
Culp, Julia: Alto (6 Oct 1880 [81] -1970)
Curtin, Phyllis: Soprano (3 Dec 1922)
Cushman, Charlotte: American contralto (23 Jul 1816 - 18 Feb 1876): Known as a great actress but was one of America's earliest opera singers. Debut (8 Apr 1835) as Countess in Marriage of Figaro. Singing soprano roles may have hastened her career into acting.
Cusing, Bertha: Contralto (Sang at Maine Music Festival)

*Special thanks to Roberto Marcocci for some additional information on the Italian singers.
** Special thanks to Leonardo Ciampa for indicating that a Caruso birth certificate has been unearthed with a 2/25/73 date.