Josip Kašman

Josip Kašman (Mali Lošinj, July 14 1847 - Rome, February 11 1925), also known as Giuseppe Kaschmann and Joseph Kaschmann, was an opera baritone singer, born on the island of Lošinj - Lussino.

Kašman studied law in Padua, while he was taught to sing by Ivan Zajc in Zagreb and near Milan. He began to perform in Zagreb from 1869. He played the lead role in the first long-running Croatian opera ("Mislav", written by Zajc himself) starting on October 2 1870. From 1875 he performed at the theatre in Turin and other Italian and European cities.

Kašman later deserted the Austrian army because of the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and because of this was not able to return to Croatia until an amnesty in 1909. That year he performed in Zagreb. He was one of the most successful singers of his time. Kašman was known as the "Baritone King".

The nationality of Kašman is contested as he is considered now Croatian or Italian, while there are arguments also to say he was of German or Austrian nationality.