José Carreras biography

Synopsis

José Carreras was born in Barcelona, Spain, on December 5, 1946. Winning the Giuseppe Verdi Competition in 1972 led to appearances in Italy, France, and the United States. By the mid-1970s, Carreras had become a leading tenor and performed around the world. Later in his career, he helped popularize opera by performing with Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo as part of The Three Tenors.

Profile

Opera singer. Born in Barcelona, Spain, on December 5, 1946. The internationally known singer graduated from the Barcelona Conservatory and made his local debut as Ismaele in the opera Nabucco. Winning the Giuseppe Verdi Competition in 1972 led to appearances in Italy, France, and the United States. By the mid-1970s, Carreras had become a leading tenor and performed around the world.

At the height of his career, Carreras learned that he had leukemia in 1987. He later set up his own foundation to help find cures for leukemia and related diseases and to encourage more people to become bone marrow donors. Carreras recovered after receiving treatment and returned to the stage.

Later in his career, Carreras helped popularize opera by performing two other musical legends Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo as part of The Three Tenors. This group of opera greats won a Grammy Award for best classical vocal performance for recording of Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti In Concert in 1990.