Join the Wine Dream Team, Jaime Araujo, Tanisha Townsend, Akos Forzcek, and Ray Isle, along with the Host, Antoine Abou-Samra for The Wine Hour #18.

We have the pleasure to welcome Joseph Calleja, The Maltese Tenor, Malta.

SPECIAL GUEST BIO

“Only one lyric tenor on the scene today has the honeyed tone and ingratiating style to make comparisons to Pavarotti and Gigli seem serious, and it is Calleja, the man from Malta, who is now maturing into an artist of the first rank.”

Blessed with a golden-age voice that routinely inspires comparisons to “legendary singers from earlier eras: Jussi Björling, Beniamino Gigli, even Enrico Caruso” (Associated Press), Maltese-born Joseph Calleja has quickly become one of the most acclaimed and sought-after tenors today. His expansive discography and frequent appearances on the world’s leading opera and concert stages prompted NPR to hail him as “arguably today’s finest lyric tenor,” and led to his being voted Gramophone magazine’s 2012 Artist of the Year. A Grammy-nominated recording artist for Decca Classics, he has released five solo albums for the label.

Born in Malta in 1978, Joseph Calleja began singing at the age of 16, first in his church choir and then in formal training with Maltese tenor Paul Asciak. One of his native land’s biggest celebrities, Calleja was selected to serve as Malta’s first cultural ambassador in 2012, and he was named a brand ambassador for Air Malta. Calleja recently teamed up with Malta’s Bank of Valletta to form the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation, which will serve to help children and families in need. Calleja is the recipient of the 2014 International Opera Awards’ Readers’ Award.

With a passion for Gastronomy, Joseph Calleja is also a wine lover and collector.

PROGRAM

Licensed To Taste [32:01]: Tanisha Townsend meets the challenge to give a primer on Maltese wine sand share your views of Black History Month in the Wine Minute.

Have A Drink With Me [44:47]: Antoine Abou-Samra has a conversation with Joseph Calleja about his journey, his love of Malta, Opera and Wine. What a fascinating conversation 😍.