Gerónimo Giménez

Gerónimo Giménez y Bellido (10 October 1854 – 19 February 1923) was a Spanish conductor and composer, who dedicated his career to writing zarzuelas, such as La tempranica and La boda de Luis Alonso. He preferred to spell his first name with a “G”, even though his name at birth officially began with a “J”. Written in Spanish, a very comprehensive biographical exposition by Ascensión García de las Mozas may be found at the Universidad de Cádiz institutional repository of Research and Learning Objects (RODIN). Career Giménez was born in Seville. A son of the Granada musician José María Giménez and his wife Antonia Bellido, he moved with his family to the city of Cadiz, where he soon became a choirboy. Although the details of his early years are not entirely certain, Giménez spent his childhood and adolescence in Cádiz. A child prodigy, he began music lessons with his father and continued his education with Salvador Viniegra. By the age of 12, he was already playing among the first violins of the Teatro Principal orchestra in Cádiz. Five years later, he became the director of an opera and zarzuela company, making his debut in Gibraltar with a production of Giovanni Pacini’s Safo. A sch