Carreras, José Maria (1946- )

Spanish operatic tenor. His comprehensive repertoire includes Handel's Samson and his recordings include West Side Story (1984) under US composer Leonard Bernstein. His vocal presence, charmingly insinuating rather than forceful, is favoured for Italian and French romantic roles.

In 1987 he became seriously ill with leukaemia, but resumed his career in 1988. Together with Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti he was one of ‘The Three Tenors’ (1990-2002), who achieved worldwide fame in a recording of operatic hits released to coincide with the World Cup soccer tournament in Rome, Italy, in 1990.