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His recordings, each and every
one, are best sellers, his frequent television
appearances have added to his musical renown, and
combined with his other interests including painting,
tennis, and horsemanship, among others, have made his
name a household word.
| He was
born in Modena, Italy, on October 12, 1935, the
first child and only son of a baker. As a boy,
sports occupied much of his time. In fact, he
earned his first local fame as a member of the
town's soccer team, excelling at the game he has
followed passionately ever since. He first sang
in the Modena chorus with his father, a fervent
lover of opera and gifted amateur tenor. When the
chorus won first prize in an international
competition, the youngster was hooked. His debut
came on April 29, 1961, as Rodolfo in La bohème,
at the opera house in Reggio Emilia. |
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That success led to engagements
throughout Italy and the world, where he conquered
audiences in Amsterdam, Vienna, Zürich, and London.
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His
American debut came in February 1965, in a Miami
production of Lucia di Lammermoor with Joan
Sutherland, the beginning of what would become
their historic partnership. Debuts in La bohème,
at La Scala, San Francisco, and New York won the
hearts of fans around the world. But it wasn't
until February 17, 1972, that the Pavarotti
phenomenon was born, in a production of La Fille
du Regiment at New York's Metropolitan Opera.
Responding to Pavarotti's aria containing nine
effortless high Cs, the audience erupted in a
frenzied ovation, and the young tenor's
reputation soared into the stratosphere. |
Long associated with London/Decca
Records, his recordings are consistent best sellers, and
include collections of arias and recital programs, a live
concert from Carnegie Hall, and anthologies of Neapolitan
and other Italian songs. His frequent television
appearances in performance as well as in documentaries
and on talk shows continue to add to his musical renown.
His televised concert in London's
Hyde Park, in the presence of Charles and Diana, the
Prince and Princess of Wales, was the first concert in
the history of the park featuring classical music and
drew a record attendance of some 150,000 people. In June
1993, more than 500,000 fans gathered to enjoy his
performance on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park,
while millions more around the world watched on
television.
The following September, singing
in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, he thrilled the hearts
of an estimated 300,000 Parisian music lovers. Maestro
Pavarotti is also dedicated to the development of the
careers of young singers, and conducts standing-room-only
master classes at conservatories around the world. In
1982, he initiated an ongoing international vocal
competition culminating with prestigious final
performances in Philadelphia.
Illuminated by his radiant
personality and propelled by his zest for life, Luciano
Pavarotti's golden voice transcends the walls of the
opera house to reach inside every human heart and mind...
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