Mini Biography
Luciano Pavarotti was born on October 12, 1935, in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, in Northern Italy. He was the first child and only son of two children in the family of a baker. His father, Fernando Pavarotti, was a gifted amateur tenor, who instilled a love for music and singing in young Luciano. His mother, Adele, worked at the local tobacco factory. Pavarotti studied to be a school teacher and later an insurance salesman. He also played soccer for his town's junior team. He first sang in the Corale Rossi in Modena with his father and won the first prize in an international choir competition in Wales, UK.
Pavarotti made his operatic debut on April 29, 1961, as Rodolfo in La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, at the opera house in Reggio Emilia. In the following years he relied on the professional advise from tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano, who prevented Pavarotti from appearances when his voice was not ready yet. Eventually Pavarotti stepped in for Di Stefano in 1963 , at the Royal Opera House in London as 'Rodolfo' in La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, what became his international debut. His American debut in February of 1965, in Miami, was also the beginning of his legendary partnership with Joan Sutherland.
Pavarotti is the founder and the host of the annual charity concerts and related activities "Pavarotti and Friends" in Modena, Italy. There he sings with international stars of all styles to raise funds for several worthy UN causes. Pavarotti sang with Bono and U2 in the 1995 song Miss Sarajevo and raised $8,500,000 in his charity project "Concert for Bosnia". He also raised $3,300,000 in charity concerts for refugees from Afghanistan and $1,000,000 for refugees from Kosovo. Pavarotti holds two Guinness World Records: one is for receiving the most curtain calls at 165; and the other is for the best selling classical album of 'The Three Tenors in Concert' with 'Placido Domingo' and Josep Carreras.
In March 2004 Pavarotti gave his last performance in an opera as the painter Mario Cavaradossi in Giacomo Puccini's 'Tosca' at the New York Metropolitan Opera. In 2005 Luciano Pavarotti started a 40 city farewell tour. He sang his signature aria "Nessun Dorma" from 'Turandot' by Giacomo Puccini, at the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Turin, Italy, on February 10, 2006. Pavarotti survived an emergency surgery for pancreatic cancer. His remaining appearances for 2006 have been canceled, however his management stated that his farewell tour may resume in 2007.
Mini Biography By:
Steve Shelokhonov
Won Emmy.
Another
9 nominations