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January 3 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on January 3, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

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Premieres & milestones

1781 Premiere
World premiere of Giuseppe Sarti’s opera seria "Giulio Sabino" at Teatro San Benedetto (Venice) on 3 January 1781.
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1843 Premiere
World premiere of Gaetano Donizetti’s opera buffa "Don Pasquale" at the Théâtre-Italien (Salle Ventadour), Paris on 3 January 1843.
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1893 Premiere
First performance of Tchaikovsky’s opera "Iolanta" outside Russia: conducted by Gustav Mahler in Hamburg on 3 January 1893 (New Style/Gregorian date cited alongside 22 December 1892 Old Style).
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Births & deaths

1785 Died
Death of Venetian opera composer Baldassare Galuppi (noted for opera buffa and opera seria); died in Venice on 3 January 1785.
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1924 Born
Birth of American operatic mezzo-soprano Nell Rankin; born on 3 January 1924.
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1983 Died
Death of American operatic soprano Marion Nevada Talley (noted for early fame at the Metropolitan Opera); died on 3 January 1983.
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