NJ Native and American Tenor James Valenti to Star in DON CARLOS at the Caramoor Festival, 7/20

American tenor, James Valenti will be making his theatrical debut as Don Carlos in "Don Carlos" at the Caramoor Festival at the Venetian Theater on July 20, 2013, located at 149 Girdle Ridge Rd - Bedford, NY.

The New Jersey native will be back in the Tri-State area performing in front of his home crowd after months of singing around the world in some of the most famous opera houses such as the Royal Opera House in London, Sydney Opera House, National Opera de Paris and Teatro alla Scala to name a few.

Valenti is one of opera's brightest up-and-coming stars and his lead role in "Don Carlos" is just one of many prominent roles he will play during the 2013-2014 season. Valenti is schedule to portray Italian film star Rudolph Valentino in the biographical opera "Dream of Valentino " Cavaradossi in "Tosca" Don Jose in "Carmen" as well as make his triumphant return to the Metropolitan Opera in April of 2014 as he performs in "Madama Butterfly."

Valenti has a voice of Italianate lustre which is continually compared to some of the greatest tenors of the post World War ll era such as Franco Corelli, Giuseppe di Stefano and Carlo Bergonzi. The sought after 6'5" tenor, has built a global reputation for his elegant musicianship, commanding stage presence and ardent vocal style.

At age 25, Valenti made his professional debut at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma where he played Rodolfo in the Franco Zeffirelli production of "La Boheme." Since his debut, he has scored one triumphal role after another and has had the opportunity to perform in many of the most celebrated citadels of Opera in the world including Teatro alla Scala Milan, Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House London, Opera National de Paris, Sydney Opera House, Opera House Munich, Salzburg Festival, Deutsche Opera Berlin, San Francisco Opera and Opernhaus Zürich. He has showcased his vocal ability and acting versatility in a variety of roles such as Alfredo Germont in "La Traviata," Duke of Mantua in "Rigoletto," Lt. Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly," Maurizio in "Adriana Lecouvreur," Edgardo in "Lucia di Lammermoor," Werther in "Werther," Romeo in "Romeo et Juliette" and Doctor Faust in "Faust." Valenti has also had the pleasure of working along side some of the greatest opera voices and maestros in the industry including Anna Netrebko, Angela Gheorghiu, Dimitri Hvorostovsky, Thomas Hampson, Simon Keenlyside, Placido Domingo, Leo Nucci, Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, Maestro Antonio Pappano, Maestro Daniele Gatti and Maestro Carlo Rizzi to name a few.

Valenti has received a number of accolades in his young career including the New York City Opera's Outstanding Debut Artist Award in 2008, the Maria Callas Debut Artist Award in 2009 and the Richard Tucker Award in 2010. Valenti also gives of his time and funds to many organizations close to his heart such as Children International, Unicef, Greenpeace, PBS and NPR.

Currently, Valenti is expanding his musical repertoire and preparing for a number of exciting roles. He will be headlining as Don Carlos in "Don Carlos" at the Caramoor Festival in July as well as making his debut as Italian film star, Rudolph Valentino in the new biographical opera, "Dream of Valentino." He is also scheduled to perform as Cavaradossi in "Tosca," Don Jose in "Carmen" and will be singing in some fantastic venues such as the Lyric Opera House of Chicago and will make his triumphant return to the Metropolitan Opera as he performs in "Madama Butterfly" in April 2014.