# How were they discovered?



## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Do you know about any interesting or unusual stories of how certain singers were discovered? 

For instance, Rolando Villazon was heard by a friend of his neighbor when he was singing in the shower.


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## annaw (May 4, 2019)

Corelli entered a singing competition in university when studying naval engineering and was encouraged by the judges to pursue a singing career. Mind you, he didn't win the competition.

Caruso was also learning engineering but started working as a street singer in Naples to raise money for his family.

And Carreras seemed to be just fanatical since childhood :lol:. This is from Wikipedia:



> He showed an early talent for music and particularly singing, which intensified at the age of six when he saw Mario Lanza in The Great Caruso. The story recounted in his autobiography and numerous interviews is that after seeing the film, Carreras sang the arias incessantly to his family, especially "La donna è mobile," often locking himself in the family's bathroom when they became exasperated with his impromptu concerts.


After that his parents agreed to let him take music lessons.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Well every tenor since 2000 was discovered by Angela Gheorghiou (allegedly).

N.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

The Conte said:


> Well every tenor since 2000 was discovered by Angela Gheorghiou (allegedly).
> 
> N.


and every soprano by Placido Domingo :lol:


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

annaw said:


> Corelli entered a singing competition in university when studying naval engineering and was encouraged by the judges to pursue a singing career. Mind you, he didn't win the competition.
> 
> Caruso was also learning engineering but started working as a street singer in Naples to raise money for his family.
> 
> ...


I love the Corelli story but I didn't know about Caruso. That's very interesting to see how many people switch to singing from engineering.

Dolora Zajick was in pre-med when she decided to switch to singing. I'm sure I've heard a similiar story about another singer but can't really remember.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Ponselle was a vaudeville singer when she was signed to sing Forza at the Met!!!!!!!!!!!! She was no more than 22!!!!


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## annaw (May 4, 2019)

Tuoksu said:


> I love the Corelli story but I didn't know about Caruso. That's very interesting to see how many people switch to singing from engineering.
> 
> *Dolora Zajick was in pre-med when she decided to switch to singing. I'm sure I've heard a similiar story about another singer but can't really remember.*


One remarkable case is also Jess Thomas. He studied at Stanford to become a child psychologist and changed careers when 27 years old, relatively late.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I believe that honey-sounding tenor Joseph Calleja started out as a stevedore in his family's supermarket chain. 
He was a true lover of punk rock till someone gave him the Mario Lanza "Great Caruso" album which changed his life. 
A Maltese voice instructor heard him sing and the rest is history.


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

József Simándy, probably the most famous Hungarian tenor, started out as a car mechanic and loved to sing while he was working. His colleagues recommended him to take lessons.


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

When he was 16, Giuseppe Di Stefano burst into song after winning a game of cards, and the friend with whom he was playing urged him to get a voice teacher and study singing.

Sherrill Milnes was raised on a dairy farm. He spent many hours singing to his father's cows who eventually suggested he pursue a different line of work.


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## VitellioScarpia (Aug 27, 2017)

RICK RIEKERT said:


> When he was 16, Giuseppe Di Stefano burst into song after winning a game of cards, and the friend with whom he was playing urged him to get a voice teacher and study singing.
> 
> Sherrill Milnes was raised on a dairy farm. He spent many hours singing to his father's cows who eventually suggested he pursue a different line of work.


Did the cows make the suggestion to seek a singing career? :devil:


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tuoksu said:


> and every soprano by Placido Domingo :lol:


You don't even have to be a soprano...


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