Famous Male Opera Singers

Opera is a piece of dramatic work which is performed by singers and musicians. It started in Italy, at the end of the 16th century and soon became famous throughout Europe.

Enrico Caruso
Enrico Caruso was born in Naples, Italy, on February 25, 1873. He was an internationally recognized Italian opera tenor. Caruso came from a poor background, but that never diminished his pursuit towards music. As a child, he used to sing in church choirs and performed in cafés for cash. He also took singing lessons with Guglielmo Vergine and Vincenzo Lombardiand made his professional debut on March 15, 1895, in Naples. The major roles created by Caruso included Loris, in Giordano's Fedora and Maurizio in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. Caruso diagnosed with purulent pleurisy, because of which he experienced episodes of intense pain and underwent surgical procedures. He died in the Vesuvio Hotel in Naples, on August 2, 1921. His funeral took place in the Royal Basilica of the Church San Francisco and it was attended by thousands of people. Caruso received many honors during his lifetime and in 1987, was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Caruso's record sales were the result of his extraordinary voice, which made him the number-one male operatic star of his era.

José Carreras
José Carreras was born on December 5, 1946, in Barcelona, Spain. From his childhood, he exhibited exceptional talent for music, particularly singing. He gave his first public performance at the age of 8, in which he sang La donna è Mobile accompanied by Magda Prunera, on the piano. The program was broadcast on the Spanish National Radio. He made his debut as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro on the opera stage at the age of 11. He continued to study music and taking private voice lessons, first with Francisco Puig and later with Juan Ruax. During the 1970s Carreras' career progressed rapidly and in 1971, he won the first prize in Parma's prestigious Voci Verdiane competition. This accolade earned him his debut role as Rodolfo in La bohème at the Teatro Regio di Parma, in 1972. His career encompassed over 60 roles on the stages of the world's leading opera houses and in the most famous recording studios.

Jussi Björling
Johan Jonatan "Jussi" Björling was born on 2 February, 1991, in Borläge, Sweden. He learned singing from his father, David, who was an accomplished vocalist. His first public appearance was at the age of four, with the Björling Male Quartet. Björling made his debut as an opera singer in 1930, in which he played the role of a lamplighter in Manon Lescaut, at the Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm. Björling became one of the principal singers at the Metropolitan Opera during the 1940s and 1950s. He sang umpteen major tenor roles in operas in the French and Italian repertoire. His major works included Il trovatore, Rigoletto, Un ballo in maschera, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana, Faust, Roméo et Juliette and La bohème. Because of his heart related problems, Björling died in Siarö, Sweden, in 1960. One of his final recordings was done in June 1960, alongside Leontyne Price and Giorgio Tozzi. The recording was exceptional, and proves that even in bad health during his last days, he could give startling performances with velvet voice and beautiful style.

Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti was born on October 12, 1935, on the outskirts of Modena in northern Italy. At the age of nine, he embarked on singing with his father in a small local church choir. After graduation, he taught in an elementary school for two years, before he began the serious study of music in 1954, with Arrigo Pola. He began his professional career in 1961, in Italy. Pavarotti continued his musical journey and sang in opera houses in Netherlands, Vienna, London, Budapest and Barcelona. He was also invited to Australia in 1965, by Joan Sutherland. He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Rudolfo in Puccini's La Boheme, in 1968. Pavarotti gained worldwide fame for the brilliance and beauty of his tone. He has given his best performances in bel canto operas, pre-Aida Verdi roles and Puccini works such as La bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, and established himself as one of the great classical singers of his era. At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, he entertained the audience with performances of Puccini's Nessun Dorma, from Turandot. On that occasion, he sang with the fellow stars Plácido Domingo and José Carreras. His final performance in an opera was at the Metropolitan in March 2004, and he died on September 6, 2007, of pancreatic cancer.

Besides the vocalists mentioned above, there are other singers like Plácido Domingo and Joseph Legros, who are also popular for their contribution to the art of opera.