One of the greatest tenors of all times...

José Carreras started his career in his childhood as pianist. He fell in love with Giuseppe Di Stefano's artistry and consumed the record of Neapolitan songs he had featuring the great Italian tenor... He made his début with the Barcelona opera company beside Montserrat Caballé, that was the first to recognize his talent. After winning the "Competizione Internazionale Voci Verdiane" (Verdi Voice Competition) in Parma, Italy, appeared widely in Europe and the US, where he made his début at the New York City Opera in 1972.

Since then he has been appearing at all the world's great opera houses, his Metropolitan and La Scala débuts being in 1975. He has been Herbert von Karajan's favorite tenor until the Maestro's death.

From the critics José has received world-wide acclaim. One journalist wrote of him: "No Italian-style tenor is so well equipped to take over from the older generation", and "[Carreras] has a tone that has many of the combined characteristics of Di Stefano e Bjorling in their prime, a real feeling for legato, and an unfailing certainty of pitch".

On July 1987 he was diagnosed with leukemia. He spent almost a year fighting the disease, and underwent a bone marrow transplant. Almost exactly one year later he staged a historic concert in his hometown, Barcelona, followed by the whole city in his "second début". The terrible experience left him with a strong will to help others, and under this determination he founded the "Fundacion Internacional José Carreras" for Leukemia in Barcelona. The Foundation has now branches in the US, Switzerland, Austria and Japan.

"I realized that the most important thing is to establish a dialogue with the audience..."