Joaquina Sitches (born MarÃÂa Joaquina Sitches y Irisarri; 28 July 1780 â 10 May 1864), also known under the stage name of Joaquina Briones or, after her marriage, of Joaquina GarcÃÂa, was a Spanish actress and operatic soprano.
She was born as MarÃÂa Joaquina Sitches y Irisarri to MartÃÂn Sitches and Lorenza Irisarri. Joaquina Sitches was the second wife of the tenor, composer and impresario Manuel GarcÃÂa, and the mother of the pedagogue Manuel GarcÃÂa the younger, of the mezzo Maria Malibran, and of the mezzo and composer Pauline Viardot.
All three children were gifted and benefited from the early training by their father. On her husband's death, when Pauline was not yet 11 years old, Sitches took charge of her vocal training.
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