San Antonio has a long history in presenting opera's greatest voices either in concert or in full opera performance. In the past few years San Antonio Opera has presented two of opera's giants, Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli, both of whom still have very close connections with the opera's director, Mark Richter.
"Almost immediately after the Bocelli concert in 1998, the masses were asking what is next." Richter says. "It gets really thin after you have presented two of the world's most famous voices in the span of two years. One of the only legendary voices still performing is the great Spanish tenor José Carreras whom we have been trying to engage for many years."
It looks like fortune will smile on the Alamo City once again when San Antonio Opera will present Carreras in concert on June 17 at the Majestic Theater.
Best known as one of The Three Tenors alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Domingo, Carreras's career has spanned the globe and his voice is regarded as one of the greatest in the history of the art. In 1970 he started his professional career in the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona with Nabucco and Lucrezia Borgia.
His meteoric musical career resulted in early debuts at the world's most prestigious opera theatres and festivals, including the Teatro alla Scala of Milan ("Un Ballo in Maschera" 1975); the New York Metropolitan Opera House ("Tosca" 1974); San Francisco Opera ("La Bohème" 1973); the Vienna Staatsoper ("Rigoletto" 1974); London's Royal Opera House ("La Traviata" 1974); The Opera of Munich ("Tosca" 1974); Chicago's Lyrics Opera ("Un Ballo in Maschera" 1976); and the Festivals of Salzburg ("Don Carlo" 1976); Aix en Provence ("Roberto Devereux" 1977); Edinburgh ("Verdi Requiem" 1982); and Verona ("Carmen" 1984).
His wide concert repertoire includes more than 600 titles of the most diverse styles ranging from the baroque to contemporary music. His extensive discography includes more than 150 recordings, notably 50 complete operas, oratories, popular and classical recitals.
Carreras has been awarded many gold and platinum discs worldwide. He has performed the leading role in several operatic films for television, cinema and video, including "La Bohème," "I Lombardi," "Andrea Chenier," "Turandot," "Carmen," "Missa de Rèquiem de Verdi," "Don Carlo," "La Forza del Destino" "Stiffelio," "Fedora" and "Jerusalem."
In 1987, at the height of his success, Carreras was diagnosed with acute leukemia and was given a one in 10 chance of survival. Had it not been for the skills of his doctors in Barcelona and at the Fred Hutchinson Clinic in Seattle, the "Missa Criolla" would have been his last recording and his performance in "I Pagliacci" at the Vienna Staatsoper would have been the last time he sang on the operatic stage.
After an extended period of recovery, Carreras shocked the world and resumed his career, gradually returning to the stage and the concert platform, as well as the recording studio. He now concentrates more on concerts and recitals and restricts his opera performances to one or two productions a year.
The Three Tenors concerts offered by Carreras with his colleagues Domingo and Pavarotti are now legendary. Followed by worldwide audiences of more than 2 billion, they have created an unprecedented impact in the world of opera.
Since 1988, he has presided with total dedication and enthusiasm over the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation established in Barcelona with branches in the United States, Switzerland and Germany. Currently his leukemia foundation is one of his most important goals and priorities.
