From The Guardian:
The opera world was on Tuesday mourning the premature death of an Italian tenor regarded by many as the heir to Luciano Pavarotti.
The announcement that Salvatore Licitra had died came nine days after the 43-year-old suffered severe head and chest injuries after a scooter accident in Sicily. As is common in southern Italy, he was not wearing a helmet.
Licitra’s voice turned him into an overnight sensation when he made his international debut in 2002, standing in for Pavarotti at short notice at the New York Met. Pavarotti, who had been booked for two performances of Tosca, pulled out citing illness and Licitra was rushed across the Atlantic to take his place.
Licitra’s powerful top notes brought him a prolonged standing ovation and comparisons with Pavarotti. Anthony Tommasini, a New York Times critic, described his performance that night as the “starry anointing of a potential successor”.
The American soprano Deborah Voigt said on Monday: “This is just heartbreaking. Salvatore was a great singer, but he was also just a really lovely guy. Always ready for a laugh, always light in spirit.”
• Salvatore Licitra: http://www.salvatorelicitra.com
