Carlos Almenar Otero
Carlos José Almenar Otero (stage name Carlos Otero ; born March 21, 1926 in Caracas ; † August 7, 2018 in Miami ) was a Venezuelan tenor and composer who also enjoyed great success in Germany in the 1960s .
Life
Carlos Jose Almenar Otero grew up as the second of five children in modest circumstances. After he was successful in swimming as a competitive athlete in his youth , he noticed early on that his great passion was singing . Contrary to the wishes of his parents, who insisted on training as a lawyer, he decided to devote himself entirely to studying singing and dropped out of law school . The first success came after he had been accepted as a student in Caracas by the Italian singing teacher Clara Ponticelli. With her help, he prepared for the Mario Lanza music competition, which took place in Caracas in 1951. The music competition was organized by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which used it to promote its films with star star Mario Lanza . After winning first prize in Caracas, he was allowed to represent Venezuela in the international final of the competition in Rio de Janeiro , where he won third prize with the arias Il Mio Tesoro from the opera Don Giovanni and Ecco Ridente Cielo from The Barber of Seville .
With the help of a state scholarship, he went to Italy to continue his vocal studies in Milan . After four years of studies, he made his debut at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan and at the Teatro Lirico. Several opera appearances in smaller theaters in the province followed. At the end of the 1950s, his career path took him to Germany, where, after appearing on the radio, he was signed by the Polydor company. This was followed by successes with songs such as Weine no tear for me and Cara Mia , as well as fun appearances and several small appearances in films. His tours have taken him all over Europe to Russia , Japan and the United States . The critics of The Japan Times newspaper in the 1960s described him as "a singer with one of the most beautiful voices to have ever visited Japan".
In the mid-1970s he returned to Caracas, where he worked for many years as a celebrated tenor (Golden Voice of Venezuela - La Voz de Oro de Venezuela) and singing teacher. A television show for singers was also created here, in which, as the main judge, he gave the young talents their first tips on vocal training. The Fundación Almenar Otero, which he founded, supported Venezuelan music and organized B. charitable concerts in old people's homes and hospitals. Due to the increasingly difficult situation in Caracas, a move to Florida followed in 2003 , where Carlos Almenar Otero has since worked as a singing teacher, wrote and continued to give small concerts. There were also appearances on radio and television and workshops / lectures, also in his home country Venezuela. His student, Maritza Salcedo de Almenar , with whom he was married in third marriage in 1983, is also successful as a singer. Carlos Almenar had three children, a daughter from his first marriage in Germany, a daughter in Caracas from his second marriage and an adopted son from the relationship with the singer Maritza Salcedo de Almenar.
Almenar Otero died in August 2018 at the age of 92 in Miami, where he had recently lived.
Discography
Carlos Almenar Otero has worked with well-known musicians and orchestras, including Werner Müller , Bert Kaempfert , Frank Barber and The National Philharmonic Orchestra of London . The single Weine no tear for me sold more than 500,000 copies.
LPs (selection)
|
|
|
Web links
- https://www.youtube.com/user/almenarofoundation
- http://www.myspace.com/carlosalmenarotero
- Biography and Music (Spanish) ( Memento from December 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- photos
Individual evidence
- ↑ fundacionjoseguillermocarrillo.com ( Memento from December 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Almenar Otero, Carlos |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Almenar Otero, Carlos José (full name); Otero, Carlos (stage name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Venezuelan tenor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 21, 1926 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Caracas |
| DATE OF DEATH | 7th August 2018 |
| Place of death | Miami |