{"key":"19790","name":"Paul Potts","bio":"Paul Potts (born 1970 in Bristol, England), from Port Talbot, Wales, is a singer who became the winner of the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent, singing operatic arias and impressing the judges in all of his performances. At the time of his victory on Britain's Got Talent, he had been working in The Carphone Warehouse, but following his win he has been signed by the show's judge Simon Cowell to record an album. Potts has previously worked in unpaid opera productions from 1999 to 2003, however, illness in 2003 brought an end to his amateur opera careerOn June 9,2007, Potts' audition of Simon Cowell's new search-for-a-star show Britain's Got Talent was televised on ITV in UK. The actual audition was held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on March 17, 2007. Paul sang a condensed version of Giacomo Puccini's \"Nessun dorma\", which impressed the judges and received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people. Potts' rendition of this has currently been viewed on video upload site YouTube tens of millions of times and exists among Youtube's all-time most viewed videos.In the semi-final on June 14, 2007, Potts performed main verses of \"Con te partir\u00f2\" with praise from the audience and judges. He progressed to the final after receiving the highest public vote in that show. He performed a full-length \"Nessun dorma\" for his final on June 17, 2007 as well as an encore after he won the competition. Potts defeated co-favourite with the bookmakers, Connie Talbot and received the highest public vote out of 2 million votes cast to win Britain's Got Talent, winning the chance to perform at Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen.In the United States, he was profiled on a National Public Radio programme called \"Day to Day\" on Friday June 15, 2007. NPR is a non-commercial network that reaches several million people every day in the U.S. On Monday, June 18, 2007, a commercial US Television network, NBC, highlighted Potts's victory on its broadcast network's NBC Nightly News and on its Cable news outlet MSNBC. Then on Thursday, June 21, 2007 he appeared live on NBC's programme Today.On July 8, 2007, Potts performed at a Katherine Jenkins' concert at Margam Park, \"Katherine In The Park\". Jenkins extended an invitation for him to sing his rendition of \"Nessun Dorma\" at the concert.Passione, his second album, was released in 2009. Potts spent nearly a year recording Passione in Prague and Stockholm.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/19790_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"40869","name":"The Three Tenors","bio":"The Three Tenors is a name given to collaborative concerts of the three operatic tenors Pl\u00e1cido Domingo, Jos\u00e9 Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti. The trio began their collaboration with a debut concert at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome held on the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup final in Italy, on July 7, 1990, with Zubin Mehta conducting the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Orchestra del Teatro dell\\\\\\'Opera di Roma. The idea of the concert was originally conceived by the Italian manager\/producer Mario Dradi. The first concert was held to raise money for Carreras\\\\\\'s foundation and also as a way for his contemporaries, Domingo and Pavarotti, to welcome their friend and colleague back to the world of opera after his successful treatment for leukemia.The three subsequently sang together, in concerts produced by Hungarian Tibor Rudas and others, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for the 1994 World Cup finals, at the Champs de Mars, below the Eiffel Tower in Paris during France \\\\\\'98 and in Yokohama during the 2002 tournament. They have also played in other cities around the world, usually performing in stadiums or other large outdoor venues.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/40869_h_1.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"42240","name":"Helmut Lotti","bio":"Helmut Lotti (born October 22, 1969 as Helmut Lotigiers) is a Belgian popular singer. He began his singing career with a visual and singing style in an obvious imitation of Elvis Presley, and was described as \"De Nieuwe Elvis\" (in Dutch) or \"The New Elvis\". His first two albums were Vlaamse Nachten (i.e. Flemish Nights, 1990) and Alles Wat Ik Voel (i.e. All That I Feel, 1992). After a few more albums, he changed direction in 1995 with the first of what became a long series of \"Helmet Lotti Goes Classic\" albums, with proved to increase his popularity.these albums are, Goes Classic (1995) Goes Classic II (1996) Goes Classic III (1997) And stopped in 1998 with The Final edition and a christmas album, A Classical Christmas with. Both recorded live in the same church. Since 1999 he has also dabbled in Latino and World music.His albums following his departure from The Goes Classic series, but usually with The Golden Symphonic Orchestra,include.Out Of Africa. (1999)Romantic. ( 1999 Non orchestral.)Latino Classics. ( 2000)Romantic 2 (2000 Non orchestral.)Goes Classic, The Red Album. ( 2000 Re recording of the 1995 orginal, with the loss of several songs.)Latino Love Songs (2001)My Tribute To The King. ( 2002)Pop Classics In Symphony. (2003)From Russia With Love.(2004)The Crooners. ( 2006 Double album.)The Goes Classic albums lost their numerical denominators, and were retitled,Goes Classic The Red Album, Goes Classic The Blue album and Goes Classic The Castle Album, respectivley. The other titles are still in effect. The above discography is for the European issues. The International versions are some what more muddeld and confusing.Oddly enough the majority of his discography is availble on DVD except The Final Edition, which thus far has only been issued on VHS.The DVD of Goes Classic The Red Album, is a new concert shot in Brussels in 2003, omitting 2 songs from the orginal 1995 version. The majority (40 minutes) of the orginal 60 minute, 1995 concert shot in Antwerp, is included with this version, omittting 6 songs. the other goes classic dvd's are direct transfers of the orginals issued on vhs He does volunteer work as an ambassador for UNICEF. Lotti has vowed to take part in the 0110 concerts against racism and extreme right, organised by Tom Barman.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/42240_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"19789","name":"Vittorio Grigolo","bio":"Vittorio Grig\u00f2lo Born in Arezzo, Italy on February 19, 1977 Vittorio Grig\u00f2lo moves to Rome where from an early age he performs as a soloist in the Sistine Chapel Choir. At the age of 13 he makes his debut in the role of the Pastorello in \"Tosca\" at the Opera House in Rome, conducted by Mo. Daniel Oren. On that occasion he meets Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, who congratulates him praising his vocal and expressive talent.He then begins his professional training, improving with the help of Bass Danilo Rigosa, who still continues to work with him as his tutor.In 1996 he wins a scholarship at the 12th \u201cR. and F. Mecenati\u201d International Song Competition, which leads him to debut at just 19 in Rossini's \"Petite Messe Solennelle\". In the same year he is invited in Wien and Split to perform in a production of the opera \"Turco in Italia\" (The Turkish in Italy), playing Don Narciso. Later that year he is in Italy to perform Count of Almaviva in the \"Barber of Seville\", at Florence Maggio Musicale and at the Verona Philharmonic Theatre. He comes back either in Rome and Verona in the role of Nemorino in \"The Elixir of Love\", where he gets very positive reviews and a great appreciation from the audience. At the age of 22 he debutes at the Cagliari Opera Theatre in the role of Don Ottavio in \"Don Giovanni\", proving a huge success.In 2000 , at the age of 23, he debutes at the La Scala Theatre in Milan in the opening concert for the celebration of Verdi's Year, conducted by Riccardo Muti (CD \u2013 La Scala Edition).At the Ravenna Festival he plays Tybalt in \"The Capulets and the Montagues\" , under the direction of Cristina Mazzavillani Muti. He also participates at the Mozart Festival in Rovereto with the Florentine Maggio Musicale Orchestra. At the Bologna Opera House he debutes as Steuerman in \"The Flying Dutchman\" and, in the following season, plays Fenton in \"Falstaff\", conducted by Daniele Gatti.He performs in numerous concerts broadcast live on television, including the New Year's Concert attended by the President of the Republic of Italy. One to remember is his performance as the main singer in the first world's performance at the Rome Opera Theatre, in Sergio Rendine's \"Romanza\".Within just few years he is singing for the major operatic institutions under the batons of Riccardo Muti, Daniel Oren, Myung-Whun Chung, Lorin Maazel, Gianluigi Gelmetti and Daniele Gatti. His repertoire includes operas such as: \"The Elixir of Love\", \"Boh\u00e9me\" , \"La Traviata\", \"Falstaff\", \"Rigoletto\", \"Lucia di Lammermoor\", \"Don Giovanni\", \"Cos\u00ec fan tutte\", \"Lakm\u00e9\", \"Werther\" and \"Faust\". He also sings some of the masterworks of the sacred repertoire, including: \"Petite Messe Solennelle\" and \"Stabat Mater\" by Rossini, \"Requiem\", \"Vesprae Solemnes\" and \"Litaniae Lauretane\" by Mozart as well as Verdi's \"Messa da Requiem\".In the 2003 season he plays the role of Tony in \"West Side Story\", the very famous musical composed by Leonard Bernstein, at La Scala in Milan, followed by a tour in the main cities of Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagoya and Osaka) as well as in Lebanon, at prestigious Beiteddine Festival in Beirut.For the opening of the opera season at the Massimo Theatre in Palermo he makes his debut in \"Lakm\u00e8\" by L.D\u00e9libes, playing the role of the English officer G\u00e9rald. Immediately after he is invited to participate in the Concert held in honour of Maria Callas at the new Santa Cecilia's \u201cParco della Musica\u201d Auditorium in Rome.During the 2004\/05 season he debutes in the opera \"Candide\" at the Carlo Felice Theatre in Genua, performing the peculiar roles of the Governor \/ Vanderbendur \/ Ragotzky. In the same season he also debutes in the role of Camille de Rossillon in \"The Merry Widow\" at the Verona Philharmonic Theatre, directed by Gino Landi.Straight afterwards at the Florentine Maggio Musicale , he performs the \"Petite Messe Solennelle\" by Rossini.He was then called again to perform in Palermo as Nemorino in Donizetti's opera \"The Elixir of Love\", conducted by Maestro Maurizio Arena.In the Rome Opera House summer season he performs \"Messa da Requiem \" by G. Verdi in the wonderful, evocative setting of the Baths of Caracalla, under the baton of Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti.For the opening concert of the symphonic season at the Santa Cecilia Auditorium in Rome, he is invited by Maestro Myung Whun Chung to perform the role of Arbace in Mozart's \"Idomeneo\".On the occasion of the celebrations of the \"Mozart Year\" at the Rome Opera Theatre he is conducted by G. Gelmetti in the role of Ferrando in the opera \"Cos\u00ec Fan Tutte\", gaining a huge success either among the audience and the media also on an international level.In July 2005 he is invited by Maestro Daniel Oren to perform at the International Operetta Festival at the Verdi Opera Theatre in Trieste, playing the role of Count Camille de Rossillon in \" The Merry Widow\" by F. Leh\u00e1r, showing his strong temperament and passion in romantic roles.In the same season, he debutes in the role of the Duke of Mantova in Verdi's \"Rigoletto\", at the Hamburg Staatsoper.For the opening of the operatic season he performs at the Gran Teatre de Liceu in Barcelona, playing the role of Cassius in \" Othello\" by G. Verdi. In this role, the critique highlights his scenic power praising his character, technique and timbre.2006 is the year when his first album entitled \u201cIn The Hands of Love\u201d is released, a collection of songs of Pop Opera genre. Vittorio enters the British Top Ten charts achieving a record in sales which confirms him as the leading classical solo artist.He also makes his live debut in the UK with a concert held at prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London, where he returns one month later to perform some of the arias from the Tenor's repertoire along with singers such as Placido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa at the \"Classical Brit Awards\u201d, the prestigious British 'Oscars' Ceremony for the Classical Music.During 2006 his album is also released in Holland , the United States and Australia, in some countries with just the title \"Vittorio\", with very positive results in terms of sales.In the summer of 2006 Vittorio is in the wonderful setting of the ancient Villa Adriana in Tivoli (Rome) to record the album repertoire in the TV special for PBS, the Public American network, performing many of the songs included in his album \"Vittorio\".On April 20, 2007 he opens the season at the Opera House in Rome singing \"Traviata\" under the baton of Mo. Gianluigi Gelmetti and directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The cast also features Angela Gheorghiu and Renato Bruson.In May he flies to Sydney, Australia to perform \"Stabat Mater\" by Rossini at the Opera House together with Mo. Gelmetti as the Conductor.In June he starts the collaboration with a new Manager, Michele Torpedine.On July 30 \"West Side Story\" is released on CD, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famous musical.Hayley Westenra, the young and very talented Artist, is Maria on the recording. With her he performs the most famous songs of the musical in a unique concert outside London broadcast by Classic FM , the prestigious British radio network. The album has been nominated at the 50th edition of the Grammy Awards in the \u201cBest Musical Show Album\u201d category.On September 15 he opens the season at the Washington National Opera in the role of Rodolfo in \"La Boh\u00e9me\" by Giacomo Puccini. For this debut, years after his first meeting in Rome, Vittorio has the occasion of finalize the role of Rodolfo under the advice of Maestro Luciano Pavarotti. Critics and audiende acknowledge him a great success.On October 13 he participates in the 32nd Niaf Gala (National Italian American Foundation) in Washington performing \"Nessun Dorma\" as tribute to Luciano Pavarotti at the presence of Laura Bush, Rudolph Giuliani, Nancy Pelosi, Martin Scorsese as well as many other prestigous members of the Italian American community. The year ended with \"The Merry Widow\" conducted by M\u00b0 Daniel Oren at the Opera House in Rome.2008 opens up with a new role, Rinuccio in \"Gianni Schicchi\" by Puccini which Vittorio has debuted at the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Milan, under the Conduction of M\u00b0 Riccardo Chailly, directed by Luca Ronconi and sharing the stage with Leo Nucci.Vittorio is presently in Valencia to perform Verdi's \"Requiem\" conducted by M\u00b0 Lorin Maazel. The rest of the year will see him busy with new operas, besides the release on Decca of his new pop album in the next months.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/19789_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"40883","name":"Roberto Alagna","bio":"Roberto Alagna (born 7 June 1963) is a French operatic tenor of Sicilian (Italian) descent. He was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.Alagna was born outside of the city of Paris in 1963 to a family of Sicilian (Italian) immigrants . As a teenager, the young Alagna began busking and singing pop in Parisian cabarets for tips. Influenced primarily by the films of Mario Lanza, but also from recordings of many historic tenors, he then switched to opera, but remained largely self-taught.After winning the Luciano Pavarotti Voice Competition, Alagna made his professional debut in 1988 as Alfredo Germont in La Traviata with the Glyndebourne touring company. This led to many engagements throughout the smaller cities in France and Italy, mainly again as Alfredo, a role he would eventually sing over 150 times. His reputation grew and he was soon invited to sing at major theaters such as La Scala in 1990, Covent Garden in 1992 and the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in 1996. His performances of Rom\u00e9o in Rom\u00e9o et Juliette by Charles Gounod at Covent Garden in 1994 (opposite Leontina Vaduva) catapulted him to international stardom.Alagna opened the 2006\/07 season at La Scala on 7 December 2006 in the new production of A\u00efda by Franco Zeffirelli. During the second performance on 10 December, Alagna, whose opening performance was considered ill-at-ease, was booed and whistled from the loggione (the least expensive seats at the very back of La Scala), and he walked off the stage. The tenor's reaction to his public criticism was denounced as immature and unprofessional by La Scala management and Zeffirelli, who said, \u201cA professional should never behave in this way. Alagna is too sensitive, it is too easy to hurt his feelings. He does not know how to act like a true star.\u201d The role of Radames was taken over successfully for the rest of the performance by his understudy Antonello Palombi, who entered on stage wearing jeans and a black shirt. In 2007 while at the Metropolitan Opera singing the role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, Alagna replaced the indisposed Rolando Villazon as Romeo in Rom\u00e9o et Juliette opposite Anna Netrebko for two performances in September and two performances in December. His wife had flown to New York to be with him for the September engagements, and as a result was fired from the Lyric Opera of Chicago for missing her rehearsal dates for La Boh\u00e8me. Alagna was also engaged by the Metropolitan Opera at the last minute to cover for the indisposed Marco Berti in a 16 October 2007 performance of Aida. After the performance, the audience gave him a standing ovation. The December 15 performance of Rom\u00e9o et Juliette starring Alagna and Netrebko was broadcast by the Met into 447 theaters worldwide in high definition and seen by about 97,000 people.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/40883_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"42198","name":"Ian Bostridge","bio":"Ian Bostridge (born 25 December 1964) is an acclaimed English tenor, well known for his performances as an opera and lieder singer.Bostridge studied at Westminster School and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, where he read history and philosophy. He received his doctorate from Oxford, on the significance of witchcraft in English public life from 1650 to 1750, in 1990, and was a post-doctoral fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, before embarking on a career as a singer, having won the 1991 National Federation of Music Societies Award and support from the Young Concert Artists' Trust.Bostridge made his Wigmore Hall debut in 1993; his Purcell Room debut (an acclaimed Winterreise) and his Aldeburgh Festival debut in 1994; in 1995 he gave his first solo recital in the Wigmore Hall (winning the Royal Philharmonic Society's Debut Award); in 1996 he gave recitals in Lyon, Cologne, London and at the Aldeburgh, Cheltenham and Edinburgh Festivals, and in 1997 at the Alte Oper, Frankfurt.On the concert platform he has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Colin Davis and Rostropovich, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra under Sir Charles Mackerras, and the City of Birmingham Symphony under Sir Simon Rattle.His first recording for Hyperion Records was a Britten song recital, The Red Cockatoo with Graham Johnson, and his subsequent recording of Die sch\u00f6ne M\u00fcllerin in Hyperion's Schubert Edition won The Gramophone\u00b4s Solo Vocal Award for 1996.Bostridge made his operatic debut in 1994, aged 29, as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Australian Opera at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1996 made his acclaimed debut with the English National Opera, singing his first Tamino (The Magic Flute). In 1997 he sang Quint in Deborah Warner's new production of The Turn of the Screw under Sir Colin Davis for the Royal Opera. He has recorded Flute (Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream) with Sir Colin Davis for Philips Classics; Belmonte (Die Entf\u00fchrung aus dem Serail) with William Christie for Erato, and Tom Rakewell (The Rake's Progress) under John Eliot Gardiner for Deutsche Grammophon.In 1997 he made a film of Winterreise for Channel 4 directed by David Alden, and his book Witchcraft and its Transformations: 1650 \u2013 1750 was published by Oxford University Press. He has written on music for The Times Literary Supplement, Opernwelt, BBC Music Magazine, Opera Now and The Independent. In 1999 Methuen published his second book, on music and singing.Later engagements included recitals in Paris, Stockholm, Lisbon, Brussels, Amsterdam and the Vienna Konzerthaus. In North America he appeared in recitals in New York City at the Frick Collection in 1998 and Alice Tully Hall in 1999 and made his Carnegie Hall debut under Sir Neville Marriner. Also in 1998 he sang Vasek in a new production of The Bartered Bride under Bernard Haitink for the Royal Opera and made his debut at the Munich Festival as Nerone (L'incoronazione di Poppea) and in recital (Winterreise at the Cuvill\u00e9s Theatre). In 1999 he made his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Roger Norrington.In 2004, Ian Bostridge was made CBE for his services to music. His brother is the biographer and critic Mark Bostridge, who is writing a book about his relationship with his singing sibling, called My Brother, Myself.Visit also the artist's profiles of:Ian Bostridge & Julius Drake, Ian Bostridge & Mitsuko Uchida, Ian Bostridge & Leif Ove Andsnes, Ian Bostridge & Jeffrey Tate, Ian Bostridge, New York Philharmonic & Sir Colin Davis, Ian Bostridge, John Eliot Gardiner & London Symphony Orchestra, Antonio Pappano & Ian Bostridge, Harry Bicket, Ian Bostridge & Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment, Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi & Ian Bostridge,Emmanuelle Ha\u00efm, European Voices, Ian Bostridge & Le Concert d'Astr\u00e9e- and other recordings together with Bostridge.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/42198_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"42215","name":"The Ten Tenors","bio":"The Ten Tenors formed while the members were pursuing opera studies at University during the mid-90s. After performing at corporate galas through their university days, in their final year at the Conservatorium, The Ten Tenors finally did what they\u2019d always joked about \u2013 they created a show full of laughs, fun, cheeky camaraderie, and most incredibly, truly beautiful music and they hit the road. It was a risk, since they were self-funded and were absent without leave from the Opera School; clearly it was a risk that paid off. The thing they were \u2018onto\u2019 kept growing and growing, with relentless touring through the Australian outback honing the group\u2019s skills, in music and comedy.\u201cIt\u2019s an unusual combination of voices, traditionally speaking,\u201d says Shannon Brown, the group\u2019s Musical Director, \u201cwhich is what makes the group so unique. We find the challenge of balancing opposing musical and performance elements very exciting!\u201dClearly their audiences do too! Since launching themselves onto the international platform at the Eurovision Grand Prix Germany 2002, The Ten Tenors have enjoyed a relentless touring schedule, which has seen them enjoy sold-out performances in Europe, the United States, Canada, Asia, and Australia. They rarely take a break! Simultaneously they\u2019ve released gold and platinum-selling albums and dvds, including their latest \u2013 Here\u2019s to the Heroes which features the music of Oscar-winning film composer, John Barry, who was also Executive Producer of the album.Highlights of The Ten Tenors\u2019 career include: sellout shows in Australia, Asia Europe and North America; an appearance on the red carpet for the 57th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards and later at the Governor\u2019s Ball, and recording their Here\u2019s to the Heroes at London\u2019s famous Abbey Road Studios.official page: www.thetentenors.com","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/42215_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}