Opera legend Plácido Domingo will be Joseph Calleja’s special guest at the Maltese tenor’s 25th anniversary concert being held at Fort Manoel in Malta on July 26.
Acknowledged as one of the finest-ever singers, Domingo has almost reached 4,100 performances in a stellar career that has made him a household name both as a tenor and a conductor. This will be his first-ever appearance in Malta.
Calleja, who has just completed the recording of his sixth album for Decca Records on the back of a critically acclaimed run in New York, said:
“The maestro needs no introduction. His talent, stamina and love for the opera world are revered the world over and what I can promise is that this will be a concert to remember. Placido and I have sung together abroad, but to perform with him in my homeland is a dream come true. My first big break in opera came in the 1999 edition of his annual Operalia competition and I have wanted to get him over to Malta ever since.”
Domingo said: “I am very happy and proud of Joseph's beautiful artistic trajectory with his generous voice and admirable extension. I gladly welcome his invitation to participate in this concert to commemorate the first quarter century of his career. I was privileged to share the stage with Joseph on two memorable Simon Boccanegra productions and now I am thrilled at the chance of making my Malta debut with him, in his homeland.”
The Maltese tenor continues to grace the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls in his silver jubilee year which will see him perform in France, Germany, the UK and Australia among others.
Domingo, whose repertoire encompasses more than 150 roles, has continued uninterrupted his extraordinary artistic career for more than half a century and this year, after having sung in Madrid, Moscow, Paris, Palermo, Salzburg, Versailles, Buenos Aires and Budapest, he is expected to return to Italy, Austria, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Slovenia, Mexico and South America.
The venue for the concert, which will also feature the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, was originally built by the Knights in 1723 to defend Valletta under the patronage of Portuguese Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena. It has recently been restored by Midi plc.
The concert is being produced by Mint Media with the support of the Malta Tourism Authority, The European Foundation for Support of Culture, Bank of Valletta and Midi.
Tickets are available from www.showshappening.com