Leonid Sobinov

Leonid Vitalyevich Sobinov , was an acclaimed Imperial Russian operatic tenor. His fame continued unabated into the Soviet era, and he was made a Peoples Artist of the RSFSR in 1923. Sobinovs voice was lyrical in size and tone, and it was employed with discerning taste and excellent musicianship.

Leonid Sobinov was born in Yaroslavl, into the family of the lower middleclass trade officer Vitaly Vasilyevich Sobinov. The period of his childhood was apparently happy and calm. Sobinovs mother, who died early, was a keen singer, and due to her inspiration, he began singing himself. In 1881, at the age of nine, he entered a boys school, graduating in 1890 with a silver medal. As a schoolboy, he had played the guitar as well as joining a local choir.

Source: Wikipedia