The Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra has quickly established himself in the beautiful and highly sought-after dramatic Italian repertory where he shows his "worthiness of the great Italian tradition" (The New York Times). His repertory includes the tenor parts in Puccini's Tosca and Madama Butterfly, in Verdi's Il Trovatore, La Forza del Destino, Un Ballo in Maschera, Macbeth and Aida as well as in Bellini's Norma and Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. In 2006 Licitra will give no less than three major role debuts at leading opera houses. In addition he is internationally recognized for his
concert performances.

Salvatore Licitra's 2006-07 season will be a one of repertory expansion. Having added the title role of Verdi's Ernani for the Deutsche Oper Berlin in June 2006, Licitra begins the new season with his first assumption of the title role of Verdi's Don Carlo under the baton of James Conlon at the Los Angeles Opera. Thereafter he returns to the Metropolitan Opera in the autumn and winter where he sings his first performances of Canio in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci. In February, Licitra will join the ranks of few other international tenors most recently, Placido Domingo by performing both Pagliacci and Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana in one evening for Genoa's
Teatro Carlo Felice, with Bruno
Bartoletti conducting.

In spring Salvatore Licitra returns to the Metropolitan Opera for another new assignment that of Luigi in Puccini's Il Tabarro, part of a new production of Il Trittico conducted by James Levine. Thereafter, he is heard at the Vienna State Opera in Giordani's Andrea Ch?nier. Licitra concludes his season with performances of Tosca first at the Norway Opera and then London's Royal Opera.

Equally noted for his work on the concert and recital stage, Salvatore Licitra will take part in an Asian tour that will bring him to Shanghai, Taiwan and Tokyo in November 2006. In January 2007, he appears in Palm Beach FL and Orange County CA and in several European cities next summer. In December Licitra will be heard in Miami and Fort Lauderdale FL in concert performances of Verdi's Il Trovatore.

To date his European engagements have brought the artist to the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera Bastille, London's Royal Opera, the Teatro alla Scala, the Staatsoper Berlin the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Bavarian State Opera and the opera companies of Rome, Naples, Lisbon, Zurich and Turin as well as to the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Washington National Opera and the Los Angeles Opera in
North America.

Salvatore Licitra was born in Bern, Switzerland, to Sicilian parents. As graduate of the "Corsi Veridiani" in Parma, Italy, he gave his debut there in 1998 at the Teatro Regio in Un Ballo in Maschera. He first caused international attention in 1999 singing Alvaro in La Forza del Destino with Riccardo Muti at La Scala in Milan. In May 2002, Salvatore Licitra gained international acclaim by stepping in for an ailing Luciano Pavarotti at the Metropolitan Opera. "For Salvatore Licitra, it's just the beginning" the Associated Press predicted from this "most triumphant" debut at the Met.