Malibran, one of the world's most famous singers, at the age of seven was studying Solfeggio with Panseron at Naples, Italy, and made her debut in grand opera in her fifteenth year.
Pesaroni made her grand opera debut at sixteen, and twenty-five years later we find her still one of the leading grand opera singers.
Teresa Titjens made her debut in grand opera at the age of fifteen.
Pauline Lucca was singing at thirteen, and made her debut at the age of sixteen.
Kellog made her debut as Gilda in "Rigoletto" at the age of eighteen.
Minnie Hauk took up voice study at the age of twelve, and was singing in grand opera during her seventeenth year.
Christine Nilson, as a child, sang on the streets, was placed under an instructor, and six months later sang at Court.
Albini, during her twenty-second year, was engaged by the Royal Italian Grand Opera at Covent Garden, to sing the leading roles of the grand opera.
Scalchi studied while a mere child, and made her grand opera debut at the age of sixteen.
Melba made her debut in grand opera when she was twenty-two years of age.
Nevada sang in public at the age of six, and has been singing ever since.
Patti made a three-year concert tour under the direction of Strakosh, between the ages of eight and eleven, and made her grand opera debut at nineteen.
Nordica made her debut at fifteen, and is still one of the greatest and loveliest of our singers.
Sembrich sang solos in church when she could scarcely see over the railing, and was in grand opera at the age of twenty.
You may have doubts as to the art of singing of those whom you have read about, but I am sure you have heard at least Scalchi, Melba, Patti, Nordica and Sembrich, and you can have no doubt as to their being classed both as singers and artists.
It is needless to say that these people must have studied these operas in order to sing them, and when you take into consideration that they were not "music dramas" that require really more proficiency in acting than in singing, but the Italian operas, requiring most perfect =coloratura= work, and the Wagner operas, demanding heavy =dramatic= singing, I think you must be convinced that if early study were injurious to the voice, these great "songsters" would not be living examples of my assertion.