Joseph Calleja, one of the world’s leading tenors, returns with his new album, Verdi. The album sees Calleja
explore the light and dark in Verdi’s heroic tenor roles and features
guest appearances from soprano Angela Gheorghiu and baritone Vittorio
Vitelli.
Verdi has a special place in Calleja’s heart, having made his debut as Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth when he was just 19. Verdi is his first new album in six years with his last solo album Amore having been released in 2013 along with his recording of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra.
This latest album marks a significant step into the Verdi repertoire
for Calleja as he tackles new roles that he has yet to play on stage.
Among the arias on the new album are “Di quella pira” and “Ah! Si, ben mio…” from Il Trovatore, “Già nella notte densa” from Otello,
and “Celeste Aida” from the opening scene of Verdi’s Egyptian opera.
Each of the roles on this album celebrate the tenore robusto as the
voice-type of an operatic hero and showcase Calleja’s powerful voice.
Calleja’s
new album also reflects his flourishing live career. He is a regular
performer at the world’s leading opera houses and will be performing in
London for a month in the new year to sing Puccini’s Tosca at the Royal Opera House (January 15 – February 7) before heading to Berlin, Monte Carlo and Munich.
Born
in Malta in 1978, Joseph Calleja began singing at the age of 16, first
in his church choir and then in formal training with Maltese tenor Paul
Asciak. One of his native land’s biggest celebrities, Calleja was
selected to serve as Malta’s first cultural ambassador in 2012 and
earlier this year he was named a brand ambassador for Air Malta. Calleja
recently teamed up with Malta’s Bank of Valletta to form the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation which will serve to help children and families in
need. Calleja is also the recipient of the 2014 International Opera
Awards’ Readers’ Award.
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