José Bros facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José Bros
Bros performing in 2015
Born	Josep Bros i Jiménez 1966 (1966) Barcelona, Spain
Occupation	opera singer (tenor)
Years active	1987 – present
Spouse(s)	María Gallego

José Bros is a famous opera singer from Catalonia, Spain. He was born in 1966 and is known for his amazing voice as a tenor, which is a high male singing voice. José Bros is especially famous for singing in a style called bel canto, which means "beautiful singing." This style focuses on smooth, flowing melodies and showing off the singer's vocal skill. He has performed in many operas and his voice can be heard on several recordings.

Life and Career

Early Life and Training

José Bros, whose full name is Josep Bros i Jiménez, was born in Barcelona, Spain. He loved music from a young age and studied singing at a special music school there. In 1986, when he was 20 years old, he won a special prize in a singing competition called the Francisco Viñas Singing Competition. This was a big step for him!

His first public performance was in 1987 in Palma de Mallorca. He sang as the main tenor in a famous musical piece called Carmina Burana. A few years later, on November 15, 1991, he made his first appearance in an opera. He played the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni in a city called Sabadell. For the next year, he sang in smaller theaters in Catalonia, taking on roles like the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto and Fernando in La favorita.

A Big Break

José Bros had a huge moment in his career on November 9, 1992. It was completely unexpected! He was asked to step in at the last minute, with only 12 hours' notice, for another singer who was sick. This was for the opening night of the opera Anna Bolena at the famous Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

He sang the part of Riccardo Percy, and his performance was incredible! People were amazed by his talent. This sudden success opened the door for him to sing in major opera houses all around the world.

International Performances

Throughout the 1990s, José Bros started performing in many of Europe's most important opera houses. He sang in Italy, Portugal, Austria, and England. For example, he performed in Rigoletto in Parma in 1994 and in L'elisir d'amore in Vienna in 1995. He also sang in Lucia di Lammermoor in Naples in 1996.

In 1997, he made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London, again in L'elisir d'amore. That same year, he performed at La Scala in Milan, which is one of the most famous opera houses in the world, singing in Lucia di Lammermoor.

Expanding His Roles

By 2012, José Bros had sung in 60 different opera roles! While he is best known for bel canto operas by composers like Donizetti and Bellini, he has also performed in other famous works. These include Alfredo in La traviata, Rodolfo in La bohème, and the main role in Massenet's Werther. He first sang Werther in 2007 and performed it again in Barcelona in 2017.

José Bros also loves to sing in zarzuelas, which are Spanish musical plays that mix singing, speaking, and dancing. He has performed in popular zarzuelas like Doña Francisquita and Luisa Fernanda. He has also helped bring back older, less-known operas by Spanish composers.

Family Life

José Bros is married to María Gallego, who is also a talented singer. They met when they were both students at the music school in Barcelona. María Gallego had her own successful career as an opera singer, performing in many opera houses in Italy and Germany. After they got married, she decided to stop performing on stage. José and María have two children together. In 2005, they even performed a concert together, singing songs from zarzuelas, which was later released as a CD called Por Amor.

Recordings

José Bros has recorded many full-length operas. Here are a few examples:

• Donizetti: Roberto Devereux – He sang the role of Roberto Devereux. This was recorded live in London in 2002 and released on CD in 2003.
• Verdi: La traviata – He sang the role of Alfredo Germont. This performance was filmed in 2005 and released on DVD in 2006.
• Donizetti: Parisina – He sang the role of Ugo. This recording was released on CD in 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Josep Bros para niños