Some of the most popular singers came from Europe, such as the Swedish soprano Jenny Lind, who was welcomed by a crowd of 40,000 when she arrived in New York in 1850.
On the other hand, Adelina Patti, one of the top opera singers of the day, performed mostly in Europe, even though she grew up largely in New York City and made her debut there in 1859.
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was a celebrated concert singer in the 1850s and was asked to sing for Queen Victoria in London; however, she was not allowed to perform operatic roles because she was African American.
