Giuseppe De Luca

Giuseppe De Luca , was an Italian baritone who achieved his greatest triumphs at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He notably created roles in the world premieres of two operas by Giacomo Puccini Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and the title role in Gianni Schicchi .

De Luca was born on Christmas Day,December 1876 in Rome, the son of a blacksmith. He sang in church choirs as a boy. After his voice broke, a wealthy patron paid for him to have singing lessons at the Rome Conservatory, where he studied with two topclass pedagogues, Venceslao Persichini and Antonio Cotogni. He made his operatic debut at Piacenza in 1897, singing Valentin in Gounods Faust. His debut proved a success and he was invited to sing at a string of more important venues.

Source: Wikipedia