At 65, José Carreras Thrives in Fundraiser for Foundation

"'Over the past week I had concerts in Prague, Lugano, a gala on German TV to raise funds for my leukemia foundation, and on Sunday I had a Christmas concert in Milan. Then I have the most important 'project' of the year which is a few days of holiday with my family for Christmas,' Jose Carreras said speaking at a media conference in Moscow. The singer has visited Russia many times both with solo shows and together with other stars of opera. 'I’m very happy to be back in Moscow. It’s a treat for every artist to come to your country because of its incredible artistic and musical tradition. I have wonderful memories from my previous visits to Moscow. I performed in different venues from the Bolshoi Theatre to the Kremlin, to the House of Music. Here I’ve always been treated with affection and respect from the public. And this is a privilege for any artist,' he explained. This time the tenor performed together with Russian soprano Olga Peretyatko and maestro David Gimenez, Carreras’ nephew. The first half of the program featured classical operatic works, and the second half was dedicated to Christmas. 'It is a challenge for us as we have to go through many different styles,' says David Gimenez. During his previous visit in July Carreras had a chance to visit a hospital for children with Leukemia. His foundation was established following his own recovery from the disease in 1988. 'It is one of my goals, to be involved and to try to help fight leukemia.'" [Source] It is reported that the concerts in Germany raised $8.3 million. For more information and to make a donation, click here.