Jose Carreras

Josep Maria Carreras Coll, known professionally as José Carreras, was born on December 5, 1946, in Barcelona, Spain. His musical talent was apparent from a young age, ignited significantly at six years old after seeing Mario Lanza in ‘The Great Caruso.’ His early passion led to music lessons and his first public performance on Spanish National Radio at eight, singing ‘La donna è mobile.’ At eleven, he made his operatic debut as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla’s ‘El retablo de Maese Pedro’ at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, a pivotal moment marking the start of his illustrious career. Despite initially studying chemistry at the University of Barcelona to have a ‘backup’ career, Carreras eventually dedicated himself entirely to singing.

Carreras’s career developed rapidly in the 1970s following his first principal adult role as Gennaro in Donizetti’s ‘Lucrezia Borgia’ in 1970, a role he considers his true tenor debut. This opportunity arose through the encouragement of esteemed soprano Montserrat Caballé, who became a significant mentor. His international debut closely followed in 1971 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. By the age of 28, he had performed lead tenor roles in 24 operas across Europe and North America, including debuts at major houses such as the Metropolitan Opera (1974) and La Scala (1975). He signed an exclusive recording contract with Philips, which led to recordings of several Verdi operas. A significant turning point in his career came in 1987 when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His recovery after intensive treatment inspired him to establish the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation in 1988.

His return to the stage in 1990 was marked by the inaugural Three Tenors concert in Rome, alongside Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. This event, initially organized to support his leukemia foundation, garnered him widespread global recognition, extending beyond the traditional opera audience. The 1994 Three Tenors concert in Los Angeles was watched by over a billion people worldwide, and their first concert’s CD became the best-selling classical recording of all time, with 13 million copies sold by 1999. In addition to opera, Carreras diversified his repertoire to include zarzuela, musicals, and light classical genres, collaborating with artists from various musical backgrounds. He served as Musical Director for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies. While he announced his retirement from principal opera roles in 2009, he continued concerts and recitals, with a return to the opera stage for Christian Kolonovits’s ‘El Juez’ in 2014.