Juan Diego Flórez
Juan Diego Flórez (Lima, 1973) is one of today's most celebrated and beloved tenors. His fluid, expressive singing and dazzling virtuosity have made him the bel canto tenor of choice for the world’s leading opera houses. His operatic and recital appearances at the most prestigious venues in the world have earned him the enthusiastic acclaim of critics and audiences alike.
 
Mr. Flórez began singing and playing Peruvian folk and pop music at an early age, later studying at Peru's National Conservatory of Music, and eventually winning a scholarship to the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In 1996 he made his professional debut at the Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro, stepping in at the last minute to sing the leading role of Corradino in Matilde di Shabran. Despite the short preparation time his debut was a triumph, and marked the beginning of his stellar career.
 
His singular voice and astonishing agility made him an overnight sensation and led to another debut that year, at the age of 23, in the opening of La Scala's 1996/97 season, conducted by Riccardo Muti. Since then he has made regular appearances at all major international opera houses and venues, with the world's leading conductors.
 
In 2007, Juan Diego Flórez made history at La Scala when he broke a decades-long ban and gave the first encore in the theatre since 1933. The aria was “Ah! mes amis” from Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, known for its nine high Cs. He repeated the feat a few months later at the Met in 2008, where no encores had been heard at the company for several years.
 
Juan Diego Flórez has been an exclusive DECCA artist since 2001, recording numerous solo albums and complete operas on CD and DVD. He has been recognized as one of the best tenors in history by the BBC, and has received spectacular accolades and awards including Peru’s highest distinction, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol, and the Austrian’s government title of Kammersänger.
 
In 2011, Juan Diego Flórez founded ‘Sinfonía por el Perú’, an inclusive social project inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, which establishes orchestras and choirs throughout his native country to help the most vulnerable children and teens. In recognition of his foundation, he was appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 2012 and received the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum in January, 2014.
 
Piano: Vincenzo Scalera
Vincenzo was born in New Jersey, USA, of Italian-American parents and began piano studies at the age of five. He graduated from Manhattan School of Music and worked as assistant conductor with the New Jersey State Opera.
 
He continued his studies in Italy and in 1980, joined the musical staff of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala as coach and pianist, assisting conductor’s Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Giannandrea Gavazzeni and Carlos Kleiber, among others.
 
Mr. Scalera has participated in many important music festivals, including Edinburgh, Martina Franca, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Les Choregies d’Orange, Carinthischer Sommer Ossiach, Salzburger Festspiele, and the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro.
 
Accompanying such celebrated singers as Carlo Bergonzi, Andrea Bocelli, Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Juan Diego Florez, Leyla Gencer, Vittorio Grigolo , Sumi Jo, Raina Kabaivanska, Katia Ricciarelli, ,  Renata Scotto, Cesare Siepi, Lucia Valentini Terrani, , etc., he has been heard in all the major music centers of the world.
 
His discography includes these recitals: Sumi Jo “La Promessa”, Renata Scotto in the “Complete Songs of Verdi”, “Carlo Bergonzi in Concerto”, Carlo Bergonzi in the “Art of Bel Canto-Canzone”, “The Comeback Concerts of José Carreras”. Mr Scalera has three recitals on Video with José Carreras, “In Vienna”, “In Concert”, and “Comeback Concert in Spain”.
 
Documenting his extensive collaboration with Carlo Bergonzi is a video concert entitled “Bergonzi Celebrates Gigli”, the program they performed together in a highly acclaimed 1985 Carnegie Hall recital.
 
As harpsichordist, he recorded the soundtrack of the video of Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” under the direction of Claudio Abbado, and the world premiere recording of Rossini’s “Il Viaggio a Reims”, also with Abbado.
 
Mr. Scalera is a Steinway Artist and is currently on the staff of Milan’s Accademia d’Arti e Mestieri of Teatro alla Scala.