Italian composer and pianist Riccardo Barthélemy was born in Izmir, Turkey (then called Smyrna) to French-born Joseph Bonaventure Barthélemy and his Italian-born wife Victoria Cocchino, Greek citizens. He is best known as the accompanist for Enrico Caruso, whose brief biography he wrote. He studied at the San Pietro a Majella conservatory of music in Naples and wrote songs and stage works there until 1898 when he moved to Paris with his widowed mother. He began working with Caruso in 1904 and went to New York City to accompany him when Caruso sang at the Metropolitan Opera in 1908, 1909 and 1916. In 1912, his composition “Marcia Trionfale Olimpica” won the Gold Medal in the first Music competition in the Olympics at Stockholm. From 1912 to 1926 he was a singing teacher in Paris where soprano Grace Moore was among his students. In 1925 he began working for the Prince of Monaco, living at the palace and instructing his children in music. He divided his time between Monaco and Paris until 1930. He accompanied the soprano Ellen Dosia at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. He finally settled permanently in Monaco in 1938.

William Bartholomew was an English librettist, composer, and writer. He is best remembered as the translator/text author for the premieres of many of Felix Mendelssohn's works in England; most notably the anthem Hear My Prayer (1845) and the oratorio Elijah for its premiere at the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival in 1846. As a composer, he produced several hymns, The Nativity oratorio, and children's songs.

One of the numerous prolific American art song composers of his time, American tenor, composer, voice teacher and organist James Carroll studied singing in Boston with excellent teachers from the age of ten and later in London with William Shakespeare. This launched a very successful career as tenor when he returned to the United States, serving as soloist in the Arlington Street Church in Boston for 25 years, the Harvard Church in Brookline, and the Plymouth Church in Worcester. He also sang in quartets (Lotus Male Quartet, Albion Quartette), in operas and operettas (touring the country with the Booth-Barrett Company and playing the leading role in H.M.S. Pinafore), and with touring concert companies. He was regarded as one of the leading teachers in Boston for 30 years (1896–1926), Worcester and Medfield, Massachusetts , where he married and lived for 33 years as a composer, singer, conductor, gentleman farmer, and highly respected citizen. He also wrote sacred solo and choral music, part songs, and cantatas.