The baritone Maurício Bensaúde (1863–1912), born on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, revealed at an early age his artistic vocation in poetry, theater, and music.¹ At the age of 14, he moved to Lisbon with the intention of preparing for admission to medical school, but ultimately devoted himself to the theater. He made his debut on March 19, 1884, at the Teatro da Trindade in the comic opera Graziela, and also appeared as a dramatic actor at the Teatro D. Maria II for three seasons.²
Given his interest in musical theater, between 1887–1888 and 1890–1891 he joined operetta companies performing in various theaters in Lisbon and Porto, including the Teatro Baquet, Teatro do Príncipe Real, and Teatro da Trindade.³ In 1891, he traveled to Milan, where he began vocal studies with Felice Pozzo, and made his operatic debut on October 17, 1891, at the Teatro Sociale in Voghera, performing in Carmen.⁴
He subsequently established a successful collaboration with several Italian opera companies, performing in various cities across the country. His success soon extended internationally, leading him to appear on the stages of major opera houses in Europe and the Americas, including the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.⁵ He gave his final performance in Rio de Janeiro on September 17, 1912.⁶
