"Without Puccini, the lyrical theater world wouldn't have been the same,"Jonathan Tetelman confidently declares in the booklet of his new solo album, whose audition I'm offering to you on Saturday evening, as radio premiere.

"I have such a fondness of Puccini's characters that it is impossible to stay away from them!" Tetelman stated. "His music tells stories better than words do. His melodies and themes bring the human emotions to the highest (…) I listen to this music every day and it fills me up (…) there's always something to learn from Puccini, and my mind will always stay open to his creation…"

Who is Jonathan Tetelman?

Born in Chile, adopted in the United States and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Jonathan Tetelman (35 years old) is the tenor for whom the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label house had a great coup de foudre, the artist with remarkable success, especially in Puccian roles: Rodolpho (Boema), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and Cavaradossi (Tosca).

He fell in love with opera music when he was 10, when he heard a recording of Nessun dorma, sung by Luciano Pavarotti. He started studying the baritone voice. His debut on the global lyrical stage happened as tenor at 26 years old.

The New York Times now describes him as a "total star." - The New York Times newspaper!

The Opera News - As "major talent." - Opera News magazine!

"An artist who reminds you of Franco Corelli (tall, handsome, charismatic), with a voice that sounds like Jonas Kaufmann's (Forum Opera)

How does the artist attract others? With a light timbre, a clear voice and passionate feelings, which knows how to constantly bring emotion to the audience… "Tetelman has a bright future ahead of him" - based on the verdict given by dr. Clemens Trautman, the director of the Deutsche Grammophon labeling bourse, who signed a contract with the American tenor.