Josep Maria Carreras I Coll

Place: Barcelona

Born: 1946

Biography:

Josep Maria Carreras I Coll, a renowned Catalan operatic tenor from Spain, has been particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi, and Puccini. Born in Barcelona in 1946, he made his debut on the operatic stage at 11 as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro. He has performed in the world's leading opera houses and on numerous recordings.

Early Years and Career

Carreras was born in Sants, a working-class district in Barcelona. He showed an early talent for music and singing, which intensified at the age of six when he saw Mario Lanza in The Great Caruso. At just eight years old, he also gave his first public performance, singing La donna è mobile, accompanied by Magda Prunera on the piano, on Spanish National Radio. A recording of this still exists and can be heard on the video biography, José Carreras – A Life Story. On 3 January 1958, at the age of eleven, he made his debut in Barcelona's great opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, singing the boy soprano role of Trujamán in Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro.

Notable Performances and Humanitarian Work

Throughout his teenage years, he continued to study music, moving on to the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu and taking private voice lessons. Following the advice of his father and brother, who felt that he needed a "backup" career, he also entered the University of Barcelona to study chemistry, but after two years he left the university to concentrate on singing. He gained fame with a wider audience as one of the Three Tenors, with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, in a series of large concerts from 1990 to 2003. He is also known for his humanitarian work as president of the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation, which he established following his own recovery from the disease in 1988.

• He has performed over 60 roles, including Flavio in Norma, Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia, and Trujamán in El retablo de Maese Pedro.
• He has worked with notable conductors, including Montserrat Caballé and Juan Ruax.
• His humanitarian work has focused on supporting research and treatment for leukemia, a disease he himself overcame in 1988.

performances by Carreras can be found at https://Wikioo.org/@/Josep-Maria-Carreras-I-Coll, where his biography and discography are also available. More information on the Gran Teatre del Liceu can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liceu. The José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation is a testament to his dedication to supporting those affected by this disease.