Minnesota Opera director recalls the power of Pavarotti

Pavarotti Performs In Beijing
Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti performed on December 10, 2005 in Beijing, China, on the last leg of his worldwide farewell tour.
China Photos/Getty Images

As an undergraduate studying French horn, Minnesota Opera artistic director Dale Johnson had little interest in opera.

But after seeing Pavarotti as Rodolfo in a touring Metropolitan Opera production of Puccini's "La Boheme," he first came to understand the power of opera.

Dale Johnson
Minnesota Opera artistic director says Pavarotti had a bright, cheerful voice that reminded him of sunny Italy.
MPR Photo/Karl Gehrke

It took a few more years before Johnson became an opera convert, but Pavarotti's performance that night left an indelible impression that took his musical career into an unexpected direction.

In a conversation with Minnesota Public Radio's Karl Gehrke, Johnson reflects on Pavarotti's career, and what made the legendary tenor one of the most famous classical artists in the world. Johnson says at the center of Pavarotti's magic was a larger-than-life personality.

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