Grigore Gabrielescu

A Romanian tenor with an international career, who later led musical life in his home town. Born in Craiova, he studied at the Bucharest Conservatory and from 1885 in Rome, and sang at La Scala and in Madrid, Lisbon and South America. His Enzo in La Gioconda led Puccini to choose him for the title role of Edgar, which he created at La Scala in 1889. Carlos I of Portugal made him a member of the Order of Christ. Back in Romania he taught at the Iași Conservatory and ran Craiova's National Theatre from 1904 to 1907.