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February 2 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on February 2, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

← February 1 | February 3 →

Premieres & milestones

1762 Premiere
World premiere (first performance) of Thomas Arne’s opera "Artaxerxes" at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden (London).
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1900 Premiere
World premiere (first performance) of Gustave Charpentier’s opera "Louise" at the Opéra-Comique (Salle Favart), Paris.
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Births & deaths

1785 Born
Birth of Spanish opera soprano and composer Isabella Colbran (born in Madrid).
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1911 Born
Birth of Swedish tenor Jussi Björling (born in Stora Tuna, Sweden).
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1919 Born
Birth of Swiss soprano Lisa Della Casa (born in Burgdorf, Switzerland).
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1937 Born
Birth of American operatic soprano Martina Arroyo (born in New York City).
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1969 Died
Death of Italian operatic tenor Giovanni Martinelli (died in New York City).
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1995 Died
Death of American operatic tenor and teacher Thomas T. Hayward (died in Las Vegas, Nevada).
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2024 Died
Death of American soprano Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez (died in Lexington, Kentucky).
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