The guy whose name is synonymous to opera, Luciano Pavarotti has said goodbye to the world. The celebrated Italian tenor passed away during the night after a sudden deterioration in his condition following surgery for pancreatic cancer in July last year and another hospitalisation last month.
Luciano Pavarotti (October 12, 1935 - September 6, 2007) was born on the outskirts of Modena in north-central Italy and was one of the best known vocal performers in contemporary times, in the world of opera and across multiple musical genres. He was also noted for his humanitarian work, and received a medal from the UN High Commission for Refugees for his work related to refugees.
Well known in his prime for the clarity of his voice and ability to hit high Cs with ease, Pavarotti broke into the opera world when he won a competition in 1961 and was rewarded with the role of Rodolfo in Puccini's "La Boheme". He went on to perform across Europe before crossing the Atlantic in February 1965 for a production of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" in Miami, co-starring famed soprano Joan Sutherland as Lucia. On February 1972 in Sutherland, Pavarotti took Covent Garden and the New York Metropolitan Opera by storm with a sparkling production of another Donizetti favourite, "La Fille du Regiment".
Pavarotti broke convention and shocked classical music purists with his appearances in live concerts, sometimes collaborating with pop musicians like Sting and U2's Bono. In 1990, Pavarotti performed the aria "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot", which was chosen as the theme music for the 1990 Football World Cup, hosted by his native Italy.
Among his best-known initiatives in recent years have been his appearances with two other leading singers, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, known as the "Three Tenors", and the annual "Pavarotti and Friends" concerts in Modena.
He will be missed by his many fans and his death marks the passing of an icon.
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