Maltese Tenor Joseph Calleja – “Among the Best Singers of Our Time” – Is Now Represented by 21C Media Group

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Joseph Calleja, who appeared as Tebaldo on Deutsche Grammophon’s recent recording of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi is rising star.

"Joseph Calleja as Tebaldo has a gorgeous voice, which is rich and sonorous, with a strength that provides punch while still maintaining tenderness. His “L’amo tano” perfectly sets him up as Romeo’s nemesis." - Interchanging Idioms

21C Media Group is delighted to announce that it now represents Joseph Calleja, handling his media and public relations. One of the most promising artists of his generation, the Maltese singer is already one of the tenors most sought after by leading opera houses on both sides of the Atlantic. His recent successes include runs at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where he “brought the house down” in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (Classical TV) and “gave his all, singing with ardor, stamina, and poignant vocal colorings and winning a rousing ovation” in the title role of Bartlett Sher’s new production of Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann (Anthony Tommasini, New York Times).

Calleja opens the Houston Grand Opera's 2010/11 season as Pinkerton in a new Michael Grandage production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. He also returns to the Met in the coming season, reprising three of his signature roles: Rodolfo in La bohème, the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, and, opposite Natalie Dessay’s Lucia, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor (winter 2010 – spring 2011).

Calleja’s upcoming international highlights include an appearance in the prestigious International Vocal Recital series at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on May 28. The tenor is no stranger to Canadian audiences, having made his debut with the Canadian Opera Company as Rodolfo in La bohème a decade ago, when he was only 22 years old.

This summer, Calleja sings Gabriele Adorno in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra opposite Plácido Domingo in the title role at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and at the BBC Proms. It was after a previous Covent Garden performance – as Alfredo in La traviata – that the Times of London declared: “The Maltese tenor’s beautifully rounded voice oozes old-school class – he’s shiveringly good,” while the New York Times agreed: “He is the real thing, a tenor who naturally combines plaintive sound with burnished intensity. He sings with heart and intelligence.”

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