José Carreras

José Carreras, born Josep Maria Carreras Coll on 5 December 1946 in the working‑class Sants district of Barcelona, Spain, is a Catalan operatic tenor whose career has spanned more than six decades. He made his stage debut at the astonishing age of eleven as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla’s El retablo de Maese Pedro at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, setting the stage for a prolific journey that would eventually encompass over 60 operatic roles in the houses of Vienna, New York, Milan and beyond. His early talent was nurtured by a family that recognized his vocal gift after he idolised Mario Lanza in The Great Caruso, leading to piano and voice lessons with Magda Prunera and later private studies with Francisco Puig and Juan Ruax, the latter whom he calls his “artistic father.” In the 1970s Carreras burst onto the international scene, winning the Voci Verdiane competition in Parma and debuting as Rodolfo in La bohème at the Teatro Regio, followed by landmark performances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala and the Vienna Staatsoper. Throughout his prime he collaborated with legendary sopranos such as Montserrat Caballé, Birgit Nilsson and Kiri Te Kanawa, and worked under conductors like Herbert von Karajan, whose mentorship encouraged Carreras to explore heavier spinto roles despite the eventual strain on his lyric voice. A life‑changing battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 1987 prompted him to found the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation, through which he has raised tens of millions of euros for research and patient support. As one of the famed Three Tenors alongside Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, he reached a global audience of billions, turning operatic arias into mainstream cultural events. In recent years he has focused on recitals, crossover projects, and humanitarian concerts, while still being celebrated for the warmth, lyrical beauty and emotional intensity of his voice. His legacy endures not only in recordings and awards but also in the countless lives improved by his charitable work.