Joseph Calleja | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1978-01-22)January 22, 1978 (age 47) Attard, Malta |
| Nationality | Maltese |
| Alma mater | De la Salle College |
| Occupation | Operatic tenor |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Height | 189 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | josephcalleja |
Joseph Calleja (born January 22, 1978)[1] is a Maltese operatictenor.
Calleja was born inAttard, Malta. He began singing at the age of 16, having been discovered by tenor Brian Cefai and continued his studies with Maltese tenor Paul Asciak. He attendedDe La Salle College.[2] At the age of 19 he made his operatic debut asMacduff in Verdi'sMacbeth at the Astra Theatre inGozo and went on to become a prize winner at the Belvedere Hans Gabor Competition the same year. In 1998 he won the Caruso Competition inMilan and was a prize winner inPlácido Domingo'sOperalia in 1999.[3]
On November 2, 2012, theUniversity of Malta presented Calleja with a Doctor of Literature Honoris Causa in acknowledgment of his achievements as an internationally renowned tenor.[4]
On October 8, 2015, Calleja was elected to the board of directors of the European Academy of Music Theatre.[5]
In 2009, Calleja began a series of annual concerts at the Granaries in Malta. The first concert was performed withMichael Bolton.[6] In 2010, he sang withDionne Warwick andRiccardo Cocciante and his choir of 500 children. In 2011, he appeared with sopranoHayley Westenra and Italian singerLucio Dalla.[7] In 2012, he was joined byRonan Keating andGigi D'Alessio.[8] In 2013, he sang withZucchero,Rebecca Ferguson,Gianluca Bezzina,Riccardo Cocciante and Tenisha.[9] In 2015, he sang withAnastacia as a special guest. In 2012, Calleja was appointed Malta's first Cultural Ambassador, a role he takes very seriously.[10]
Calleja's first solo recital disc,Tenor Arias, was released in 2004. He followed that up in 2005 withThe Golden Voice. In 2011, his third solo albumJoseph Calleja – The Maltese Tenor reached second overall position on the German charts[11] and debuted at number one in the US Billboard Classical Traditional chart. His 2011 DVD ofLa traviata from the Royal Opera House and costarringRenée Fleming was nominated for a Grammy award.[12][citation needed] His 2020 albumThe Magic of Mantovani. The Original Recordings With Joseph Calleja topped Amazon's UK's Opera Charts.[13]
The Drake Calleja Trust came into existence on the 1st September 2015.[14] Established by publisher and philanthropist James JP Drake,[15] the patron of this trust is Joseph Calleja. It has completed six application calls until 2021 and awarded seventy scholarships for studies in theUnited Kingdom to exceptionally talented music students of classical music on undergraduate, postgraduate, and research levels. Through these grants, students have purchased new instruments, participated in competitions, masterclasses and training, attended auditions in the UK and other countries, made recordings, and furthered their studies.[16]
On 25 October 2013, Calleja together withBank of Valletta launched theBOV Joseph Calleja Foundation. The aim of the foundation is to help vulnerable individuals and social groups in the Maltese community. Specifically, its attention is directed towards helping underprivileged children with unique artistic or musical talents.[17]
Calleja made a guest appearance onRenée Fleming's albumBy Request, singing the role of Alfredo in the act 1 closing scene ofLa traviata. His recording of "La donna è mobile" from Verdi'sRigoletto was featured in the soundtrack for the 2007 filmNo Reservations, starringCatherine Zeta-Jones.
Calleja appears as tenorEnrico Caruso inJames Gray's 2013 filmThe Immigrant, which also featuresJoaquin Phoenix andMarion Cotillard.[18]
Calleja has two children.[19]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
