as born in Brooklyn, New York, May 29th,
1874, of Spanish parents. His boyhood was spent in Spain, France and
England. In the last named country he became a boy soprano and sang with
much success. Part of his education was received at Oxford. He returned
to America, where his vocal teachers were C. Moderati and E. Agramonte.
His debut was made in 1897 in a concert with Mme. Marcella Sembrich. His
rich fluent baritone voice made him a great favorite at musical
festivals in America. He has sung with nearly all of the leading
American orchestras. The peculiar quality of his voice is especially
adapted to record making and his records have been immensely popular. He
married Emma Eames, July 13th, 1911.

[Illustration: EMILIO DE GOGORZA.

(C) Dupont]

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG CONCERT SINGERS

EMILIO DE GOGORZA

There has never been a time or a country presenting more inviting
opportunities to the concert and the oratorio singer than the America of
to-day. As a corollary to this statement there is the obvious fact that
the American public, taken as a whole, is now the most discriminating
public to be found anywhere in the world. Every concert is adequately
reviewed by able writers; and singers are continually on their mettle.
It therefore follows that while there are opportunities for concert and
oratorio singers, there is no room for the inefficient, the talentless,
brainless aspirants who imagine that a great vocal career awaits them
simply because they have a few good tones and a pleasing stage presence.

This is the age of the brain. In singing, the voice is only a detail. It
is the mentality, the artistic feeling, the skill in interpretation that
counts. Some of the greatest artists are vocally inferior to singers of
lesser reputation. Why? Because they read, because they study, because
they broaden their intellects and extend their culture until their
appreciation of the beautiful is so comprehensive that every degree of
human emotion may be effectively portrayed. In a word they become
artists. Take the case of Victor Maurel, for instance. If he were ninety
years old and had only the shred of a voice but still retained his
artistic grasp, I would rather hear him than any living singer. I have
learned more from hearing him sing than from any other singer. Verdi
chose him to sing in _Otello_ against the advice of several friends,
saying: "He has more brain than any five singers I know."

Some people imagine