Guido Caselotti

Guido Luigi Emanuele Caselotti (born Guido Luigi Emanuele Hocke; June 20, 1884 – July 30, 1978) was an Italian-American opera director, vocal coach, and music teacher. A master of the traditional "Old Italian School" of singing, he is most widely recognized for his pivotal role in casting the lead voice for Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which launched the career of his daughter, Adriana Caselotti.

He immigrated to the United States in 1903 at age 18, arriving in New York aboard the ship Lomarida on April 25. Between 1908 and 1911, while serving as an organist in New Haven, Connecticut, he taught piano to a young Alfred Newman, who would become one of Hollywood's most decorated film composers.

Career and vocal pedagogy Early New York and Connecticut years After completing his studies at the New York German Conservatory, Caselotti opened a private music school inside the prestigious Metropolitan Opera House building in New York City.

Relocation to Los Angeles and Hollywood Growth In the summer of 1926, following a two-year working sabbatical in Italy, Caselotti moved his family to Los Angeles, California.

Following the global commercial success of the 1937 film, Caselotti heavily leveraged the achievement in industry trades. Operating out of the historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, he staged full-scale classical opera productions intended to bring accessible high art to local audiences while providing an orchestra-backed platform for West Coast vocalists. He frequently cast his elder daughter, Louise, as the dramatic lead in these productions.

Following World War II, Caselotti relocated his studio operations to San Gabriel and Alhambra.

Throughout his multi-decade career across New York and Los Angeles, Caselotti trained a diverse array of students spanning the fields of classical opera, Hollywood film scoring, radio, and theatre. His younger daughter Adriana Caselotti, who trained extensively in his vocal studio before winning the titular voice role in Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

Miyoshi Sugimachi a prominent Japanese-American lyric soprano who studied with Caselotti in Los Angeles following her formal training in Italy. George Stinson a Los Angeles police officer widely known as Hollywood's "Singing Cop". Under Caselotti's vocal training, Stinson developed a powerful operatic tenor voice that led to successful professional concert and radio engagements. Cathy Rae Clark an American singer and stage actress who sought vocal coaching from Caselotti to refine her technique for musical theatre and Broadway performances.

Personal life Caselotti was married twice.

Death Caselotti passed away in San Gabriel, California, at the age of 94.