Biography

Born in Lima, Peru, he studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima and at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. In 1996 he made his oficial debut at the Rossini Opera Festival, in Pesaro (Italy), substituting for the main role who fell ill. He was considered an overnight sensation, drawing attention from theaters like La Scala, where he made his debut the same year, at only 23.
Juan Diego has enjoyed great success at theaters such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) in London, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Madrid's Teatro Real, Bercelona's Gran Teatro Liceo, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Zurich Opera, Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Salzburg Festival, etc.
Since 2001 he has been an excusive artist for Decca, having recorded numerous solo cd's and complete operas in CD and DVD. His recordings have been awarded with many important prizes by opera critics.
His engagements, until 2015, will take him to the most prestigious opera houses and concert halls around the world.
Juan Diego has received many prizes and decorations. In 2004 he was decorated by former peruvian president Alejandro Toledo with the "Orden al Merito" (Order of Merit) in the rank of "Gran Cruz" (Great Cross), and in 2007 by president Álan García with the "Orden El Sol del Perú" (The Sun of Peru Order) in the rank of "Gran Cruz" (Great Cross), the highest decoration from the peruvian goverment. Juan Diego has also been honored by his country with a postage stamp.
In 2007 Juan Diego broke tradition at Milan's La Scala, giving the first ancore after 75 years, with the famous nine high C's aria, "Ah mes Amis" from The Daughter of the Regiment. The same happened at the Metropolitan Opera in 2008, in the same opera.

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