August 12 — On This Day in Opera

Giuseppe Verdi's "Alzira", with a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano after Voltaire, received its world premiere at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

Manolis Kalomiris's opera "Konstantinos Paleologos" received its world premiere at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens in a Greek National Opera production.

Death of Jacopo Peri, Italian composer and singer considered the “father of opera,” best known for composing *Dafne* (c. 1597), regarded as the earliest known opera.

Argentine conductor and composer Ettore Panizza was born in Buenos Aires. Closely associated with La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, and Teatro Colón, he also composed the opera "Aurora".

American soprano Lillian Evanti was born in Washington, D.C. She became the first African American to sing with a professional European opera company and built an international career as a coloratura soprano.

Birth of American opera singer Coe Glade, famed for her portrayal of Carmen in *Carmen*.

Swiss composer Heinrich Sutermeister was born in Feuerthalen. Opera became a major part of his output, with works including "Romeo und Julia", "Die Zauberinsel", and "Niobe".

Czech composer Leoš Janáček, creator of "Jenůfa", "Káťa Kabanová", "The Cunning Little Vixen", "The Makropulos Case", and "From the House of the Dead", died in Ostrava.