Francisco Salas

Francisco Lleroa y Salas (12 March 1812 in Albaicín, Province of Granada – 21 June 1875 in Madrid) was a Spanish classical opera singer (bass-baritone), one of the crucial figures in the revival of the zarzuela genre. Biography Early years Francisco Salas was born in Albaicín during its siege by the French. His father died the same year he was born. Thus, the boy had to work hard from early age. A famous tenor Lorenzo Valencia from Madrid came to Granada to sing in some operas, especially those by Rossini. He became Salas’s first teacher and protector. In 1829 they went to Madrid, where the seventeen-year-old entered the choir of Teatro de la Cruz. There he studied with José Reart and tenor José Valero. In October 1831 Salas made his soloist debut substituting the bass protagonist in I fidanzati, ossia Il contestabile di Chester by Pacini, and had success. From this moment he left the choir to perform “partiquinos y suplementos”, and already in 1833 his name opened the playbill for the Le calife de Bagdad by Boieldieu. Around that time he met , one of the most important singers on the Spanish scene of the period. They married and had three children. At their recitals, apart from th