Josephine Lucchese

Josephine Lucchese
Lucchese as Gilda in Rigoletto in 1922
Born	(1893-07-24)July 24, 1893 San Antonio, Texas
Died	September 10, 1974(1974-09-10) (aged 81) San Antonio, Texas
Resting place	Saint Mary's Cemetery
Education	Main Avenue High School
Occupation	Opera singer
Spouse(s)	Adolfo Caruso Florentine Donato
Parent(s)	Sam Lucchese Frances Battaglia

Josephine Lucchese (July 24, 1893 – September 10, 1974) was an American operatic soprano who had an active international singing career during the 1920s and 1930s. A skilled coloratura soprano, she was particularly admired for her portrayals of Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Violetta in La traviata, and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. She began her opera career in 1920 with the San Carlo Opera Company; a touring opera company in the United States. She was a resident artist with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company from 1929-1932, and was a principal artist with the Dutch National Opera during the 1930s. She also appeared as a guest artist with American and European opera houses during her career.

Josephine Lucchese was born on July 24, 1893 in San Antonio, Texas. Her father, Sam Lucchese, was an Italian-born immigrant who founded the Lucchese Boot Company. In her youth she learned how to play the mandolin and the piano, and studied singing with Virginia Colombati. She was educated at the Main Avenue High School in San Antonio.

At the age of 18, Lucchese traveled with Colombati to New York City to pursue further studies in music with Yeatman Griffith. She made her professional singing debut soon after at Aeolian Hall in Manhattan on November 26, 1919 giving a recital of art songs and arias; including pieces from The Magic Flute, La sonnambula and Félicien David's La perle du Brésil. A year later, on September 22, 1920, she made her professional opera debut as Olympia in Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann with Fortune Gallo's touring San Carlo Opera Company at the Manhattan Opera House. She remained under contract with that company for the next five years; performing across the United States and Canada in such roles as Gilda in Rigoletto, Lady Harriet Durham in Martha, Micaëla in Carmen, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Violetta in La traviata, and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor.