Tenor Salvatore Licitra Sings "Nessun Dorma"

Last Saturday in Ragusa, Sicily, Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra had a serious motorcycle accident when he lost control of his Vespa scooter and slammed into a wall. He suffered life-threatening head and chest injuries, was air lifted to a hospital to Catania where he is said to be in a coma. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. His 29 year old girlfriend from Shanghai, riding in the back seat, was wearing a helmet and escaped injuries. The 43 year old Licitra, Swiss-born and of Sicilian parentage burst onto the scene in 1998 and achieved international fame when he replaced Pavarotti at a Met Tosca in 2002. At the time he was called "the fourth tenor", an allusion to his succeeding the Three Tenors. The media hype has largely subsided and he has continued on to a respectable career. I attended his Montreal concert debut at Place des Arts seven years ago, as well as the Vocal Series at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto about five years ago. I had the pleasure of interviewing him ahead of his Montreal concert. His most recent appearance in Toronto was as soloist at the Bel Canto Foundation Gala last fall. A singer with a beautiful voice (if imperfect technique) and a generous stage presence, Licitra remains an estimable artist and one wishes him a speedy recovery.  Here is Licitra singing Nessun dorma in a Moscow concert last December. 

- Joseph K. So