12 October marks the birthday of Luciano Pavarotti, one of the best known tenors in the modern era. Born in Italy in 1935, Pavarotti’s father was a baker and his mother worked in a cigar factory. Pavarotti would abandon his own child hood dreams of becoming a soccer goalie and pursue professional singing lessons. He died in 2007, having become one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time.
In 2001, Pavarotti received the Nansen Medal from the UN High Commission for Refugees for his efforts raising money on behalf of refugees worldwide. Through benefit concerts and volunteer work, he has raised more than any other individual.
The video clip provided here is from a free concert given by Pavarotti in New York City’s Central Park and is of the aria, “Nessun dorma” which in English translates as “None shall sleep”. It is from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s frequently performed opera Turandot.