Calleja set to raise the tone on Rai

Fresh from conquering America’s classical charts, tenor Joseph Calleja will be raising the tone of Italian TV over the next few weeks with two prime-time performances.

Maltese viewers can tune into Rai Uno on Saturday to watch the Maltese Tenor performing in the series finale of variety show Ti Lascio una Canzone.

The following day, Mr Calleja will record a performance for the Christmas edition of the show, to be aired on Rai Uno on December 23.

The Maltese Tenor, Mr Calleja’s third solo album for his record label Decca, recently debuted at number one in the US Billboard Classical Traditional chart.

This followed the album’s equally auspicious debut in Europe, where it claimed the number one spot in the UK’s specialist classical chart and was top seller in the classical vocal category in Germany.

Having charmed American audiences, the 33-year-old tenor returned to Europe this month. He wowed an audience in Paris on November 7, and is set to perform in Munich on Monday and Vienna on Wednesday.

He is also scheduled to be a soloist in Verdi’s Requiem in Cologne, and on December 8 will sing at the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Stockholm, which will be televised internationally.

Mr Calleja will be back on stage in New York in January, when he takes on the titular role in a new production of Faust at the Metropolitan Opera.