Biografia
Joseph Calleja, a tenor born in Malta in 1978, began singing at 16, initially in his church choir before receiving formal training from Maltese tenor Paul Asciak.
By age 35, he had performed 28 principal roles and regularly appears on many of the world's top opera stages. A Grammy-nominated artist with Decca Classics, Calleja has released four solo albums. His latest, Be My Love: A Tribute to Mario Lanza, honors the renowned Italian-American singer and actor who inspired him to pursue opera, particularly through the film The Great Caruso.
Calleja made his operatic debut at 19 as Macduff in Verdi's Macbeth at Malta's Astra Theatre, soon after winning an award at the Belvedere Hans Gabor competition, which launched his international career. He won the 1998 Caruso Competition in Milan and was a prize winner at Domingo's Operalia in 1999, the same year he debuted in the U.S. at the Spoleto Festival. Since then, he has performed with leading opera companies worldwide, including the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Vienna Staatsoper, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Semperoper Dresden, Frankfurt Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. His signature roles include Verdi's Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto and Alfredo in La traviata; Puccini's Rodolfo in La bohème; Donizetti's Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, and Leicester in Maria Stuarda; the title roles in Gounod's Faust and Roméo et Juliette; Bellini's Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi; and Mozart's Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. He also originated the role of Lind in the world premiere of Azio Corghi's Isabella at Pesaro's Rossini Opera Festival.
Calleja frequently performs in concerts around the world, appearing in opera galas across Germany, the UK, and Korea; at summer festivals such as Salzburg and London's BBC Proms; and regularly giving charity concerts in Malta to audiences of tens of thousands. He co-headlined the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, broadcast live on BBC radio and television; was the featured soloist at the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Stockholm; performed a private concert for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the invitation of the Maltese President; and toured Germany alongside soprano Anna Netrebko. He has also appeared as a recitalist in Japan and across Europe.
Since his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 2006 in Otto Schenk's production of Rigoletto, Calleja has become a regular there. His engagements include the title role in Des McAnuff's new Faust production and his role debut as Hoffmann in Bartlett Sher’s production of Tales of Hoffmann. His Covent Garden debut was as the Duke of Mantua in Verdi’s Rigoletto, and he has since performed roles including Rodolfo in La bohème and notably shared the stage with Plácido Domingo in Simon Boccanegra—a performance released on DVD by EMI Classics. At the Vienna Staatsoper, he has performed Verdi roles, Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux and Nemorino, as well as Bellini’s Elvino in La sonnambula and Arturo in I puritani. Current season highlights include returning to the Bavarian State Opera as the Duke in a new Rigoletto production and performing Rodolfo at Lyric Opera of Chicago opposite Netrebko’s Mimì. He recently toured Europe performing selections from Be My Love: A Tribute to Mario Lanza and is preparing for his role debut as Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera at Frankfurt Opera.
An exclusive Decca Classics artist since 2003, Calleja’s extensive discography includes complete operas, concert works, and four solo albums: The Golden Voice, Tenor Arias, The Maltese Tenor, and Be My Love: A Tribute to Mario Lanza. His videography is equally distinguished, highlighted by his portrayal of Alfredo in the Royal Opera House’s La traviata alongside Renée Fleming and Thomas Hampson, which earned him his first Grammy nomination. His rendition of Verdi’s "La donna è mobile" appears on the soundtrack of the 2007 film No Reservations, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Calleja makes his Hollywood debut in the upcoming film Low Life, featuring Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner, and Joaquin Phoenix.
Widely profiled in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Times, Calleja has appeared on the covers of magazines including Opera News. He is also a familiar face on television, having appeared on CNN’s Business Traveller, BBC Breakfast, and The Andrew Marr Show.
