Antonio Benelli

Antonio Pellegrino Benelli was born in Forlì on 5 September 1771 and died in Börnichau, Saxony, on 16 August 1830. He was an Italian tenor, composer and singing teacher.

He made his debut in Naples in 1790, where his opera Partenope was premiered in 1798. Between 1798 and 1800 he sang at the King's Theatre in London, in roles including Paolino in Il matrimonio segreto, Paisiello's Almaviva and Admetus in Gluck's Alceste. In 1801 he settled in Dresden, where he sang for more than twenty years, until his voice failed. He taught in Berlin until he was dismissed in 1829, after publishing a pamphlet against Spontini.

He did not possess a large or brilliant voice, but he was a good teacher and left numerous vocal pieces.