Rosina Storchio

An Italian soprano who created roles for Leoncavallo, Giordano, Puccini and Mascagni. She trained at the Milan Conservatory and made her debut there in 1892 as Micaëla, reaching La Scala three years later. She was the first Musetta in Leoncavallo's La bohème and the first Zazà, and in 1904 the first Cio-Cio-San, at the La Scala premiere that was withdrawn after a single evening. She sang the part again at Buenos Aires within months, and in 1917 created the title role of Mascagni's Lodoletta. Her last appearance, at Barcelona in 1923, was as Butterfly.