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January 20 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on January 20, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

← January 19 | January 21 →

Premieres & milestones

1649 Premiere
Antonio Cesti’s opera "Orontea" was first performed in Venice.
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1892 Premiere
Alfredo Catalani’s opera "La Wally" premiered at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
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1934 Premiere
Franz Lehár’s operetta "Giuditta" premiered at the Vienna State Opera.
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1995 Premiere
Thea Musgrave’s opera "Simón Bolívar" premiered at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, Virginia.
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Births & deaths

1681 Born
Baroque opera composer and theorbist Francesco Bartolomeo Conti was born in Florence.
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1833 Died
German operatic soprano Gertrud Elisabeth Mara died in Reval (now Tallinn).
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1956 Died
American lyric soprano (and Met Flower Maiden in "Parsifal") Lucy Isabelle Marsh died.
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2014 Died
Italian conductor Claudio Abbado (closely associated with La Scala, Vienna State Opera, etc.) died in Bologna.
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2021 Died
Iranian-born soprano Anita Terzian Titus died (reported as January 20, 2021).
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