Crescentini Girolamo, *2 February 1762 Urbania (near Urbino), †24 April 1846 Naples, Italian castrato (soprano) and composer. He received his education from Gibelli in Bologna and made his debut in Padua in 1782. Crescentini performed on many Italian stages, gaining great fame, and later in London, Lisbon, and Vienna, where he became professor of singing of the imperial family in 1804. Napoleon, who was delighted with his artistic work, took him from Vienna to Paris in 1806, where Crescentini stayed until 1812. After returning to Italy, he began his teaching career, initially in Bologna, and in 1819 became professor of singing at the Real Conservatorio di Musica in Naples. He published Raccolta di esercizi per il canto (Paris, 1811) number of ariettas and books with exercises for singers. His students were A. Catalani and I. Colbrán, among others.
