Valesi, Giovanni (Johann Evangelist Walleshauer) (b. Unterhattenhofen, Bavaria, 28 Apr. 1735; d. Munich, 10 Jan. 1816). A German tenor who was employed for much of his professional life at the Munich court Kapelle and who performed regularly in Italy, Valesi sang Gran sacerdote di Nettuno at the premiere of Idomeneo in Munich on 29 January 1781 and probably Contino del Belfiore at the premiere of La finta giardiniera in the same city on 13 January 1775. He was also a well-known singing teacher, counting Johann Valentin Adamberger and Carl Maria von Weber among his students. When Mozart heard another of his students, Margarethe Kaiser, sing in Munich, he wrote to Leopold (2 Oct. 1777): ‘She has a beautiful voice, not powerful but by no means weak, very pure and her intonation is good. Valesi has taught her; and from her singing you can tell that he knows how to sing as well as how to teach.’

simon p. keefe

H. Schmid, ‘Zur Biographie des bayerischen Hofsängers Giovanni Valesi (Walleshauser)’, Musik in Bayern 10 (1975), 28–30

Vanhal (Vanhall, Wanhal), Johann Baptist (Jon Křtitel) (b. Nové Nechanice, Bohemia, 12 May 1739; d. Vienna, 1813). A Czech composer well known for his orchestral, chamber, keyboard and vocal works, Vanhal worked in Vienna for most of his professional life, studying with Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf in the early 1760s and subsequently teaching Ignaz Pleyel.