Andrea Bocelli has been called "the fourth tenor." A disciple of Luciano Pavarotti and Zucchero Fornaciari, the blind, Tuscany-born vocalist has emerged as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary opera. His participation in Pavarotti's 1992 hit "Miserere" and Fornaciari's 1993 world tour brought him international attention. Opera,... [+] Read More

Yes No

Backstreet Boys were, in many ways, a contradictory band. Comprised entirely of white, middle-class Americans, the group sang a hybrid of new jack balladry, hip-hop, R&B, and dance club pop that originally found its greatest success in Canada and Europe, with their 1996 debut album charting in the Top Ten in nearly every country on the... [+] Read More

Yes No

Boasting the talents of Matthew Gilsenan, Niall Morris, and James Nelson, the Celtic Tenors, younger and hipper than many of their contemporaries, operate on the same plain as their operatic peers the Irish Tenors, relying on their impressive pipes to bring new life to popular, traditional, and classical works. Their 2003 debut, So Strong, was... [+] Read More

Yes No

Welsh soprano Charlotte Church became an overnight classical superstar in November 1998 with the release of her debut album Voice of an Angel, issued when she was just 12 years old. Born in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, she began performing in public at age three, and five years later was a regular at local karaoke competitions; from there Church... [+] Read More

Yes No

No mere green-shaded knock-offs of their more famous Mediterranean counterparts, the Irish Tenors comprise three vocalists with individually distinguished careers who came together for a concert at Ireland's giant Royal Dublin Society complex. The concert, accompanied by a sixty-piece orchestra, was well attended and was recorded for television.... [+] Read More

Yes No

Pop and classical singer Josh Groban made his debut in the seventh grade, but then put music aside for a few years until he enrolled at the Interlochen Arts Program. In late 1998, he hooked up with a friend of his vocal coach, producer/writer/arranger David Foster. Groban worked for Foster as a rehearsal singer on a series of high-profile... [+] Read More

Yes No

Taking their name from a spectator's comment while busking in the piazza of London's Covent Garden Market, the Opera Babes have established themselves as one of the world's elite operatic duos. Karen England and Rebecca Night, both classically trained, met in Cambridge while performing Mozart's The Magic Flute, and cultivated a friendship that... [+] Read More

Yes No

One of the world's most renowned tenors, Placido Domingo -- along with his frequent collaborators Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras -- is largely responsible for the increasing mainstream popularity of opera among contemporary listeners. Born March 21, 1941 in Madrid, Spain, Domingo and his family relocated to Mexico in 1950; there he studied... [+] Read More

Yes No

The Three Tenors were Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras, arguably the three most popular male vocalists in contemporary opera. With each the subject of considerable success and acclaim as a solo performer, their occasional collaborations as the Three Tenors were guaranteed media events, selling out stadiums and even reaching... [+] Read More

Yes No

Born poor in a broken home in the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania, Valencia Vas overcame many obstacles before succeeding in recording her debut crossover classical album, Reflections. With an abusive, alcoholic father who often cooked rabbit for dinner, Valencia learned to deal with the minimum in life. When her father disappeared, like his... [+] Read More

Yes No