Palmo's Opera House at Palmo's opened with a production of Rossini's "L'italiana in Algeri" with Laure Cinti-Damoreau as Isabella. The singer was later heard to rave reviews that season as Rosina in a revival of the company's production of "The Barber of Seville". Also performed that season was Rossi's "Chiara Rosenberg" with Rosina Pico in the title role. In 1847 the Sanquirico-Patti Opera Company became the resident opera company at Palmo's Opera House. The company's first presentation there was the United States premiere of Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix" on January 4, 1847 with Clotilda Barili in the title role and Sesto Benedetti as
Samuel Barber typical athletic American boy. This meant, in particular, an interest in his playing football. However, Barber was in no way a typical boy, and at the age of nine he wrote to his mother: Barber attempted to write his first opera, entitled "The Rose Tree", at the age of 10. At the age of 12, he became an organist at a local church. When he was 14, he entered the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied piano with Isabelle Vengerova, composition with Rosario Scalero and George Frederick Boyle, and voice with Emilio de Gogorza. He began composing