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January 4

1710 Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (born Giovanni Battista Draghi) – Italian composer, violinist and organist (d.1736 at the age of 26); one of the most important early composers of opera buffa.

1874 Josef Suk – Czech composer and violinist (d. 1935); son-in-law of Antonin Dvorák (who was his most influential teacher) and grandfather of violinist Josef Suk (1929-2011).

1881 first performance of Johannes Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture at a special convocation held by Breslau University with the composer conducting.

1937 Grace Bumbry American opera singer, (died May 7, 2023) considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos; shw was a major soprano earlyierin her career. She was one of a generation of African American opera and classical singers, including Leontyne Price, Martina Arroyo, Shirley Verrett and Jessye Norman.

1970 Paul Watkins – Welsh cellist (54 years old); joined the Emerson String Quartet in the 2013-14 season, replacing the departed David Finckel.