February 26

Stefano Landi was born in Rome in 1587 and became a prominent composer of the early Baroque era. He composed one of the first operas in the Roman style, including Sant'Alessio, blending dramatic narrative with expressive music. Landi served as a teacher at the Roman College, mentoring future generations of musicians. His sacred works, madrigals, and instrumental pieces showcase his innovative use of harmony and orchestration. Landi's music influenced the development of Western opera and church music. He died in 1639, leaving a legacy as a pioneer of Baroque composition.

Nicola Fago was born in 1677 and became a leading figure in Neapolitan Baroque music. He served as maestro di cappella at key churches and conservatories, directing performances of sacred and secular works. Fago taught at the Conservatorio della Pietà dei Turchini, mentoring notable composers such as Leonardo Vinci. His compositions, including cantatas, passions, and instrumental pieces, are distinguished by expressive melodies and intricate counterpoint. Fago's influence helped establish Naples as a center of musical innovation and education. He died in 1745, remembered for shaping the next generation of Italian composers.

Anton Reicha was a composer and flautist born in 1770 in Prague, then part of Bohemia. He studied music in Dresden and Vienna before settling in Paris, where he became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. Reicha composed 34 wind quintets that expanded the possibilities of wind chamber music and influenced future composers. A friend and contemporary of Beethoven, he was known for his theoretical writings on harmony and composition. His innovative approach to form and orchestration left a lasting mark on 19th-century music. He died in 1836, respected as both a performer and a visionary composer.

Honoré Daumier was born in 1808 in Marseille, France, and became renowned for his political cartoons in 'Le Charivari'. His lithographs and comic strips satirized the July Monarchy and its social inequalities with sharp wit. As a painter and sculptor, he created expressive works such as 'The Third-Class Carriage' and small-scale bronzes. Daumier's art combined realism and humor, influencing later modernists and satirists. Despite occasional clashes with censorship, he remained committed to social critique through his art. He died in 1879, remembered as a master of 19th-century French satire and caricature.

Rudolph Dirks was born in Heide, Germany in 1877. He immigrated to the United States and worked as an illustrator before breaking into comics. In 1897, he introduced The Katzenjammer Kids, one of the first successful comic strips in American newspapers. Dirks expanded the visual language of comics with recurring characters and serialized storytelling. He famously engaged in a legal dispute with publisher William Randolph Hearst over the rights to his characters. Dirks continued to draw cartoons for decades, influencing generations of cartoonists with his dynamic style. He passed away in 1968, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a pioneer of the American comic strip.

Frank Bridge was born in Tonbridge, England in 1879. He studied at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford. Bridge gained acclaim as a violist, performing with the English String Quartet. He composed chamber music, orchestral tone poems such as The Sea (1910), and solo works. Bridge's style evolved from late-Romantic influences to increasingly modernist techniques. He was a dedicated teacher and mentor to young composers, most notably Benjamin Britten. Despite withdrawing from composition later in life, his works saw a revival after his death. Bridge passed away in 1941, remembered for his contributions to British music in the early 20th century.

Born in 1902, Jean Bruller was a graphic artist and writer who adopted the pen name Vercors during World War II. Together with his wife, he secretly launched Les Éditions de Minuit in Nazi-occupied France, publishing clandestine works that championed resistance ideals. His novella Le Silence de la mer became a seminal work of French Resistance literature, celebrated for its subtle defiance and poetic prose. After the war, he continued to produce novels, essays, and illustrations, exploring themes of liberty and moral courage. Bruller's literary and artistic contributions helped shape postwar French culture, earning him recognition as both a creative innovator and a symbol of intellectual resistance. He died in 1991, leaving a legacy as a courageous writer and publisher.

Tex Avery began his animation career in the 1930s at Warner Bros., where he developed a zany, fast-paced cartoon style that broke conventional norms. He created or refined characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, infusing them with distinctive personalities and comedic timing. In 1942, Avery moved to MGM and produced groundbreaking shorts like Red Hot Riding Hood, notable for their sharp humor and bold visual gags. His inventive approach to timing, exaggeration, and self-referential jokes reshaped the art of animation. Avery's work influenced generations of animators and remains a touchstone for cartoon comedy. He also lent his voice to several characters and continued producing cartoons until his retirement in 1955. Avery passed away in 1980, leaving a legacy as one of animation's most influential visionaries.

Born in Mexico City, he began his career in the early 1930s performing in local opera houses. Chayres rose to international acclaim with his warm tenor tone and heartfelt interpretations of operatic arias. He became a celebrated interpreter of the bolero, recording popular songs that resonated across Latin America and Spain. Chayres appeared on radio broadcasts throughout the Americas and Europe, collaborating with top orchestras of the time. His extensive discography has left a lasting legacy in Latin American music.

Tarō Okamoto was a pioneering Japanese avant-garde artist and sculptor. He studied in Paris in the 1930s and was influenced by Surrealism before returning to Japan during World War II. Okamoto’s bold abstract paintings challenged traditional aesthetics and sparked debate within the art community. He gained national fame for his monumental public works, including the iconic Tower of the Sun at Expo ’70 in Osaka. Throughout his career, he also published theoretical writings on art and played a key role in shaping postwar Japanese modernism.

Marc Bucci (1924–2002) was an American composer, lyricist, and dramatist whose creative output enriched off-Broadway and regional theater productions. Bucci's music combined memorable melodies with thoughtful lyrics, supporting narratives that ranged from lighthearted comedies to serious dramas. He collaborated with playwrights to develop musicals that toured nationally and received critical acclaim. In addition to his stage work, Bucci composed scores for radio dramas and television anthologies in the 1950s and 1960s. He mentored young composers and conducted workshops at universities, fostering new talent in musical theater. Although less widely known than some contemporaries, Bucci's dedication to storytelling through music left a quiet but enduring influence on American theater.

Antoine "Fats" Domino Jr. (1928–2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist who influenced the development of rock and roll. He achieved fame with hits like "Ain't That a Shame" and "Blueberry Hill," selling millions of records worldwide. Domino’s gentle vocals and boogie-woogie piano style bridged rhythm and blues with mainstream pop. He was one of the first Black rock and roll stars to cross over to white audiences in the 1950s. Domino’s contributions earned him a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a lasting musical legacy.