| Biography | His real name was François Gauthier. First he became a railroad employee, then studied singing at the Conservatoire in Paris. Privately he perfected his vocal technique under Louis Delaquerrière in Paris. In 1908 he won a competition for amateur singers and immediately attracted the attention ot the director of the Grand Opéra in Paris. His debut that same year as Lohengrin in Nantes was a remarkable success and he subsequently joined the ensemble of the Grand Opéra, where he remained as an admired member until 1938. |