Victor Young (1899-1956) was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor, who began as a classical composer and concert violinist but moved into the popular music sphere when he joined Isham Jones' orchestra. He studied the piano with Isidor Philipp of the Paris Conservatory. In the mid-30s he moved to Hollywood. As a recording artist he waxed a lot of dance tunes but also played with many famous jazzmen. On radio, he was the musical director of Harvest of Stars. He was musical director for many of Bing Crosby's recordings. He received 22 Academy Award nominations for his work in film, twice being nominated four times in a single year, but he did not win during his lifetime. He received his only Oscar posthumously for his score of Around the World in 80 Days (1956). This impressive record was made in 1932, featuring an exquisite vocal by James Melton, who received vocal instruction from Gaetano de Luca in Nashville from 1923 to 1927 before moving to New York where he studied with Gigli's teacher, Enrico Rosati. Melton also worked in dance bands, playing saxophone in a college jazz ensemble and performing with Francis Craig's Orchestra in Atlanta in 1926. The following year, he began singing on New York radio for no pay. He joined the cabaret group "Roxy's Gang". He made records, singing for Victor with The Revelers (on Columbia they were credited The Singing Sophomores). He frequently sang with Jane Froman and appeared with her in film. Melton recorded his first songs under his own name for Columbia in 1927. Early in the 30s, he trained his voice with the pianist Michael Raucheisen in Berlin and gave his first concert performance at Town Hall on April 22, 1932 in New York and embarked on an American and Canadian concert tour along with songwriter George Gershwin in 1934. Melton continued to perform on the radio. In the thirties, Melton also sang and acted on the Jack Benny Radio Shows. Although not distinguished as a dramatic actor, he also appeared in movies. After voice training with Angelo Canarutto, Melton's operatic singing career took off in 1938 when he appeared with the Cincinnati Zoo Opera Company as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly and also with the St. Louis Opera Company as Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata. In 1939, he sang Pinkerton for his debut with the Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company with Annunciata Garrotto as Cio-cio-san. He worked with the Chicago Civic Opera from 1940 to 1942, appearing with Helen Jepson in Madama Butterfly, with Lily Pons in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, with Risë Stevens in Mignon and in Flotow's Martha. On 7 December 1942, Melton debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute. He continued to perform at the Met through 1950. Melton spent the 1950s making records, singing in nightclubs, appearing on TV. His last stage production was Sigmund Romberg's The Student Prince.
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