In 1990, the first concert of The Three Tenors—José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti—was held at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome. Initially conceived as a benefit to support Carreras’ leukemia foundation, the concert garnered overwhelming enthusiasm and launched what became a globally celebrated musical collaboration.

From 1996 to 1997, The Three Tenors embarked on a world tour, performing at major venues such as Kasumigaoka Stadium in Tokyo, Wembley Stadium in London, Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Giants Stadium near New York City, Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, and numerous others. These concerts were highly successful commercially and played a significant role in bringing classical music and opera to wider audiences.

The recording of the 1990 Rome concert became the best-selling classical album of all time, with nearly thirteen million copies sold. A 1994 televised concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles attracted a global audience of over a billion viewers. Their album The Three Tenors in Concert holds a Guinness World Record for best-selling classical music album.

While the trio faced criticism for commercializing opera—with each tenor reportedly earning one million dollars per concert on their world tour—Carreras responded by noting the disparity in earnings compared to figures in sports, pop music, and film. Despite the debate, The Three Tenors continued to perform and record together until 2003.

Legacy and Humanitarian Work

Though Carreras eventually stepped back from complex operatic roles, he remained active as a performer. Speaking in a 2013 interview, he reflected on the natural evolution of a singer’s career: "You can do certain things when you’re younger, when your voice is full, but then you get older."

Following his recovery, Carreras established the Fundació Internacional Josep Carreras per a la Lluita contra la Leucèmia (Josep Carreras International Leukemia Foundation) in Barcelona. The organization funds leukemia research and treatment initiatives worldwide. His humanitarian efforts have earned him numerous honorary degrees and accolades from institutions around the globe.

Critics and fans alike have praised Carreras’ voice for its lyrical beauty and expressive power. Often described as a lyric tenor with the richness of a spinto, his voice has been hailed for possessing "a noble timbre, richly coloured and sumptuously resonant."

References

https://www.biography.com/people/jos%C3%A9-carreras-9239419

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Carreras

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Lanza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_retablo_de_maese_Pedro

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Tenors