José Carreras

About

José Carreras occupies a privileged position in the music world. Born in Barcelona, he studied music in his hometown. In 1970 he started his professional career in the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona in 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 Oper of Munich (Tosca, 1974); Chicago's Lyric Opera (Un Ballo in Maschera, 1976); and the Festivals of Salzburg (Don Carlo, 1976); Aix en Provence (Roberto Devereux, 1977); Edinburgh (Verdi's Requiem, 1982) and Verona (Carmen, 1984).

Carreras’ popularity extends well beyond opera, particularly with the record-breaking success in the last decade of the Three Tenors concerts with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. For the 2000 holiday season, Sony Classical will release The Three Tenors Christmas (SK/ST/SM 89131), the first-ever Christmas concert featuring Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti. In the spirit of the Three Tenors concerts that have drawn record audiences in outdoor venues all over the world, this performance of international holiday favorites features music the singers have never before recorded, captured live in a 1999 concert in Vienna. The Three Tenors Christmas will also be available on home video in the VHS and DVD formats (SHV/SVD 89063).

José Carreras has collaborated with the most renowned orchestra conductors, including Herbert von Karajan (an artistic and personal relationship which lasted over twelve years and included performances in Salzburg, Berlin and Vienna), Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Chailly, Colin Davis, Giuseppe Sinopoli, James Levine, Carlo Maria Giulini, Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta, and with pre-eminent stage directors such as Franco Zeffirelli, Jean Pierre Ponnelle, Giorgio Strehler, Luigi Comencini, Harold Prince.

His repertoire includes over sixty operas, of which the following stand out: Andrea Chenier, La Bohème, Tosca, Werther, Don Carlo, Carmen, La Forza del Destino, I Pagliacci, L'elisir d'amore, Un Ballo in Maschera.

Together with his opera activities, he has given frequent recitals in the world's most famous halls. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Avery Fisher Hall of New York; the Royal Festival Hall, the Barbican and the Royal Albert Hall in London; the Salle Pleyel in Paris, at the Musikverein and Konzerthaus of Vienna, the Berlin Philharmonie, Suntory Hall and the NHK Hall in Tokyo, the Grosses Festspielhaus of Salzburg, the Philharmonie and the Hercules Saal of Munich, the Palau de la Musica of Barcelona, the Teatro Real of Madrid and the Accademia Santa Cecilia of Rome. His wide concert repertoire includes over 600 titles of the most diverse styles ranging from the baroque to contemporary music.

His extensive discography includes over 150 recordings, notably 50 complete operas, oratories, popular and classical recitals. He has been awarded many gold and platinum discs worldwide.

José Carreras has performed the leading role in several operatic films for television, cinema and video, including La Bohème, I Lombardi, Andrea Chenier, Turandot, Carmen, Verdi's Requiem, Don Carlo, La Forza del Destino, Stiffelio, Fedora and Jerusalem.

Among the numerous national and international prizes and distinctions which have been bestowed upon José Carreras are an Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences of the United States; the Grand Prix du Disque from the Academy of Paris; the Luigi Illica Prize; a 1991 Grammy Award; the Sir Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in Stiffelio at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Kammersänger and Lifetime Honorary Member of the Vienna Staatsoper; Honorary Member of the London Royal Academy of Music; the Gold Medal of the New York Spanish Institute; the Gold Medal of the City of Vienna; the Gold Medal of Fine Arts bestowed by His Majesty the King of Spain; the Gold Medal of the City of Barcelona; the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalunya; Prince of Asturias Award 1991; Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Francaise; Gran Croce di Cavaliere and Grande Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana; Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and The Albert Schweitzer Music Award 1996.

He has also been awarded the title Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Barcelona and the Universities of Loughborough and Sheffield in the United Kingdom, Honorary Member of the European Society for Medicine, Honorary Patron of the European Society for Medical Oncology and Honorary Member of the Leukaemia Support Group and the St Boniface General Hospital Research Foundation 1996 International Award. Furthermore, he is Honorary President of the Julian Gayarre International Singing Competition and Honorary President of the London Arts Orchestra.

José Carreras portrayed Julian Gayarre in the motion picture Romanza Final. In 1993 his video A Life Story, nominated in Hollywood, was awarded an International Emmy Award.

In 1992 Mr Carreras was engaged as Musical Director of the memorable Olympic Games held in Barcelona.

In 1990 in Rome and 1994 in Los Angeles, with his colleagues Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, he performed two extraordinary concerts watched worldwide by audiences of over 2 billion which created an unprecedented impact in the world of opera. The 1996/97 season saw him performing dates as part of the third "Three Tenors" tour.

Since 1988, in addition to his professional activities, he presides with total dedication and enthusiasm over the "José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation" established in Barcelona and with branches in the United States, Switzerland and Germany. Currently his Leukaemia Foundation is one of his most important goals and priorities.

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