Born into a large family in the northern Italian city of Turin (Torino) in 1850, Tamagno was the son of a wine-seller who ran a modest trattoria. His vocal promise manifested itself early, and although encouraged by his parents to learn a trade, he was still able to take singing lessons with the conductor and composer Carlo Pedrotti at Turin's Liceo Musicale music school and gain experience as a chorister.Forbes, Elizabeth (1992), 'Tamagno, Francesco' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London)
