García, Manuel

▪ Spanish vocal teacher

born March 17, 1805, Madrid

died July 1, 1906, London

      the most renowned European teacher of singing in the 19th century.

      The son of the celebrated tenor Manuel del Popolo Vicente García, he began a singing career in 1825 in New York City as Figaro in his father's company's production of Rossini's The Barber of Seville. In 1825 in Paris he left the stage to concentrate on the teaching of singing. His pupils included Jenny Lind and Mathilde Marchesi.

      He did extensive research into the voice and was the inventor of the laryngoscope. His Mémoires sur la voix humaine (1840) became a fundamental study of the voice. His Traité complet de l'art du chant (1847; “Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing”) is a classic. His influence continued into the 20th century. García taught singing at the Paris Conservatoire in 1847 and from 1848 to 1895 taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

* * *