Jose Carreras Tour Dates
Jose Carreras – Austin June 19, 2010 Bass Concert Hall
Jose Carreras Biography: Sweet Soprano to Terrific Tenor
Jose Carreras’ biography provides an in-depth look, from his childhood years as a soprano and his rise to fame as a tenor. Though his life has had its high and low points, Jose Carreras never ceases to amaze opera lovers around the world.
Jose Carreras
Jose Carreras Biography – The Early Years
Josep Maria Carreras was born on December 5, 1946 in Barcelona, Spain. From a very early age, Carreras sang constantly at home for his family, as well as for others, such as customers in his mother’s hairstyling salon.
One of Jose Carreras’ favorite songs to sing was ‘Donna e Mobile,’ a song from the film The Great Caruso. Although his family was impressed by his talent, they sometimes had to tell him that it was driving them a bit crazy. At the age of six, whenever this was suggested, Jose Carreras locked himself in the family bathroom and continued singing.
The young singers singer’s mother enrolled him in voice and piano lessons; later, Carreras also attended a local music conservatory after school during the week. During this time, he performed as a naughty boy in La Boheme. When his voice had changed from soprano to tenor by the age of eighteen, Carreras performed as Flavio in Norma. Onstage, he caught the attention of Montserrat Caballe, a soprano with whom he would perform and study with over the next few years.
Jose Carreras Biography – Family Life
In 1971, Jose Carreras married Mercedes Perez. His wife gave birth to their first son, Alberto, one year later. In 1977, thead a daughter named Julia. Jose began to perform over seventy times a year at the pinnacle of his carrer. The constant travelling took a toll on his marriage and family life, and resulted in a divorce in 1992.
Jose Carreras Biography -Trying Times
Carreras was diagnosed with leukemia in 1987 at his peak of fame. He worried that I Pagliacci would be his final performance; however, with the help of the skilled doctors at the Fred Hutchinson Clinic in Seattle, Washington, he received chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. He made a full recovery and continued his career, even uniting with former opera rivals Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti to form the Three Tenors.
