Editing Roberto Alagna (section)

==Career==
After winning the [[Luciano Pavarotti]] International Voice Competition, an initiative backed by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, that started in [[Modena]] in 1988, Alagna made his professional debut as Alfredo Germont in ''[[La traviata]]'' with the [[Glyndebourne Festival Opera|Glyndebourne]] touring company.<ref name="who">{{cite book
  | last = Cummings
  | first = David M.
  | title = International Who's Who In Classical Music 2003
  | publisher=Europa Publications
  | year = 2003
  | location = London, England
  | page = 9
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=48V3kmpJEEgC&q=International+who%27s+who+in+classical+music+2003
  | isbn = 1-85743-174-X}}
</ref> This led to many engagements throughout the smaller cities in France and Italy, mainly again as Alfredo, a role he would eventually sing over 150 times. His reputation grew and he was soon invited to sing at major theatres such as [[La Scala]] in 1990, [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden]] in 1992 and the [[Metropolitan Opera]] as [[La bohème|Rodolfo]] in 1996. His performances of Roméo in ''[[Roméo et Juliette]]'' by [[Charles Gounod]] at Covent Garden in 1994 (opposite [[Leontina Vaduva]]) catapulted him to international stardom.<ref>{{cite magazine
  | last = Waleson
  | first = Heidi
  | title = Alagna Slated for Tenor Stardom
  | pages = 1–2
  | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| date = 18 November 1995
<!--  | url = http://www.ebscohost.com|access-date =3 July 2008 -->}}</ref>

Alagna opened the 2006/07 season at La Scala on 7 December 2006 in the new production of ''[[Aida]]'' by [[Franco Zeffirelli]]. During the second performance on 10 December, Alagna, whose opening performance was considered ill-at-ease, was booed and whistled from the ''loggione'' (the least expensive seats at the very back of La Scala), and he walked off the stage. The tenor's reaction to his public criticism was denounced as immature and unprofessional by La Scala management and Zeffirelli, who said, "A professional should never behave in this way. Alagna is too sensitive, it is too easy to hurt his feelings. He does not know how to act like a true star."<ref>{{cite news
  | last = Owen
  | first = Richard
  | title = Tenor who stormed off La Scala stage vows he will return
  | newspaper=[[The Times]]|location=UK
  | date = 12 December 2006
  | url = https://www.thetimes.com/article/tenor-who-stormed-off-la-scala-stage-vows-he-will-return-gfw5t0fs5ht
  | access-date=26 January 2025}}
</ref> The role of Radames was taken over successfully for the rest of the performance by his [[understudy]] [[Antonello Palombi]], who entered on stage wearing jeans and a black shirt.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Booed tenor quits La Scala's ''Aida''
  | work=[[BBC News]]
  | date = 11 December 2006
  | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6169177.stm
  | access-date =3 July 2008}}
</ref>

In 2007 while at the Metropolitan Opera singing the role of Pinkerton in ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'', Alagna replaced the indisposed tenor [[Rolando Villazón]] as Romeo in ''Roméo et Juliette'' opposite soprano [[Anna Netrebko]] for two performances in September and two performances in December. Alagna was also engaged by the Metropolitan Opera at the last minute to cover for the indisposed Marco Berti in a 16 October 2007 performance of ''Aida''. After the performance, the audience gave him a standing ovation.<ref>''[[Deseret Morning News]]'', 21 October 2007, page E9, [[Associated Press]]/Verena Dobnik, "Once-booed tenor wows the Met"</ref> The 15 December performance of ''Roméo et Juliette'' starring Alagna and Netrebko was broadcast by the Met into 447 theatres worldwide in high definition and seen by about 97,000 people.<ref>[http://www.dailypress.com/features/dp-gl_david_1223dec23,0,6310904.column?coll=hr_features_home_garden_promo "Metropolitan Opera's broadcast is a digital gift"], ''[[Newport News Daily Press]]'', 23 December 2007</ref>

In recent years, Alagna has been an advocate of restoring to prominence neglected French operas – [[Franco Alfano|Alfano's]] ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (Alfano)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'', [[Jules Massenet|Massenet's]] ''[[Le jongleur de Notre-Dame (opera)|Le jongleur de Notre-Dame]]'', [[Édouard Lalo|Lalo's]] ''[[Fiesque]]'', and new works – [[Vladimir Cosma]]'s ''[[Marius et Fanny]]'' and his brother [[David Alagna]]'s ''Le dernier jour d'un condamné''. He has also recorded light music with an homage album to [[Luis Mariano]], ''Sicilien'', and ''Pasión''.

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 (opera)|Lohengrin]]''. Alagna withdrew from the festival on 29 June 2018 citing failure to learn the role in time.<ref>{{cite news
  | last = Brug
  | first = Manuel
  | title = Star-Tenor sagt "Lohengrin" ab – Text nicht gelernt
  | work=[[Welt (German TV channel)|Welt]]
  | date = 30 June 2018
  | url = https://www.welt.de/kultur/article178526060/Festspiel-Skandal-Roberto-Alagna-sagt-Bayreuth-ab-Text-nicht-gelernt.html
  | access-date =3 July 2018|language=de}}</ref>