VIDEO PODCAST: John Dante Prevedini leads a discussion about Youth Involvement in Classical Music - this specially extended illustrated feature includes contributions from Christopher Morley, Gerald Fenech, Halida Dinova, Patricia Spencer and Roderic Dunnett.
VIDEO PODCAST: New Recordings - Find out about Adrian Williams, Andriy Lehki, African Pianism, Heinrich Schütz and Walter Arlen, and meet Stephen Sutton of Divine Art Recordings, conductor Kenneth Woods, composer Graham Williams and others.
ROMANTICISM: Explore the late George Colerick's fascinating series of articles encroaching on the subjects of melody, romanticism, operetta and humour in music.
Spanish tenor Pedro Lavirgen was born in Bujalance on 31 July 1930. As a child, during the Spanish Civil War, Lavirgen was injured and remained in hospital for three years, joining the hospital choir and becoming a soloist. When he was discharged from hospital he studied at the Madrid Royal Conservatory and at the Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático.
He began his career as a chorus singer, but by 1964 he had sung at New York Metropolitan Opera and by 1975 had sung at La Scala and at Covent Garden. During his career, he also sang at the Munich National Theatre, Palais Garnier, Teatro Colón, Verona Arena and at Vienna State Opera.
Pedro Lavirgen retired in 1993 then taught singing at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. He died in Madrid on 2 April 2023, aged ninety-two.