1. Roberto Alagna obtained French citizenship in 1981, while retaining his previous Italian citizenship.
13 Facts About Roberto Alagna
1. 2.
Roberto Alagna was discovered by Gabriel Dussurget, the co-founder of the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
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Roberto Alagna had performed frequently with Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu, whom he first met in 1992 and married in 1996, in concerts and opera productions until their eventual divorce in 2013.
4.
Roberto Alagna's reputation grew and he was invited to sing at major theatres such as La Scala in 1990, Covent Garden in 1992 and the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in 1996.
5.
Roberto Alagna is too sensitive, it is too easy to hurt his feelings.
6.
In 2007 while at the Metropolitan Opera singing the role of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Roberto Alagna replaced the indisposed tenor Rolando Villazon as Romeo in Romeo et Juliette opposite soprano Anna Netrebko for two performances in September and two performances in December.
7.
Roberto Alagna was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera at the last minute to cover for the indisposed Marco Berti in a 16 October 2007 performance of Aida.
8.
Roberto Alagna has recorded light music with an homage album to Luis Mariano, Sicilien, and Pasion.
9.
Roberto Alagna was scheduled to make his debut at the Bayreuth Festival on opening day, 25 July 2018, in the title role of a new production of Richard Wagner's Lohengrin.
10.
Roberto Alagna withdrew from the festival on 29 June 2018 citing failure to learn the role in time.
11.
Roberto Alagna's first wife, Florence Lancien, died of a brain tumour in 1994; they had one daughter, Ornella, who was born in 1992.
12.
Roberto Alagna and Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak had begun a relationship, and their daughter, Malena, was born on 29 January 2014.
13.
Roberto Alagna has often sung Alfano's Cyrano opposite his sister-in-law Nathalie Manfrino as Roxane.