April 29 — On This Day in Opera

The premiere of Jean-Philippe Rameau's opera "Hippolyte et Aricie" took place at the Paris Opéra, marking his operatic debut.

Premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'Il Trovatore' at Teatro Apollo in Rome.

Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo conducted an important early performance of his opera "Pagliacci" in Milan following its initial success.

Birth of Sir Thomas Beecham, English conductor and impresario, known for founding the London Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic orchestras and for his interpretations of opera.

Italian conductor Tullio Serafin, renowned for his work in opera, made an important early conducting appearance in the Italian repertoire.

Birth of Zubin Mehta, Indian conductor and musical director, renowned for his expressiveness on the podium and interpretations of operatic repertoire.

Premiere of the musical 'Hair' on Broadway, which, while not an opera, influenced the development of rock operas and contemporary musical theater.

American soprano Leontyne Price gave a celebrated farewell performance at the Metropolitan Opera in "Aida".