On this day in 1910, Frederick S. Converse‘s The Pipe of Desire premiered at the Met, the first opera by an American composer to be performed by that company. 

(This clip is from a later Converse tone poem, “Flivver Ten Million”)

Born on this day in 1844 composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

Born on this day in 1882 composer Gian Francesco Malipiero.

Born on this day in 1900 soprano Ofelia Nieto.

Happy 87th birthday bass John Macurdy.

Born on this day in 1933 bass Jules Bastin.

Happy 66th birthday conductor James Conlon.

Happy 47th birthday Scott Levine.