July 7 — On This Day in Opera

Gustav Mahler, composer and major opera conductor later associated with the Vienna Court Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, was born in Kaliště, Bohemia.

First performance of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly" outside Italy, staged in Buenos Aires under the baton of Arturo Toscanini.

Birth of Italian-American composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti, creator of operas such as 'The Medium', 'Amahl and the Night Visitors', and 'The Consul'.

Italian-American opera composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti was born in Cadegliano, Italy.

Death of American opera director and translator Donald Pippin, founder of San Francisco's Pocket Opera, known for performing operas in English.

Jonathan Dove's community opera "Tobias and the Angel" received its world premiere at Christ Church, London, by Almeida Opera.

George Benjamin's opera "Written on Skin" received its world premiere at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence.