Spanish tenor Fernando Valero was born in Écija in the province of Sevilla, on 6 December 1854. He first studied law, but then took to singing under Martin Salazar and the legendary tenor Enrico Tamberlick. He made his debut as Lorenzo at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 1878, in Auber's opera "Fra Diavolo." From 1880 he sang in Italy, making his first appearance at the Teatro Brunetti in Bolgona in Ponchielli's opera "I Promessi Sposi," followed by performances in several provincial theatres throughout Italy, in operas such as "La Favorita," "Faust," "Puritani" and "La Sonnambula." Valero enjoyed engagements at several important international opera stages: Berlin, Lisboa, Chicago; at London's Covent Garden (1899, 1901), where he made his debut in a role that soon were to become his, Don José in Carmen, but his single most important performance here was perhaps his Duke in Rigoletto in 1901, opposite Nellie Melba's Gilda and Jean Lasalle's Rigoletto. The Met saw him during the 1901-02 season, during which he performed in Cavalleria Rusticana (Turiddu was his debut role with the opera in New York), Rigoletto, Martha and Carmen. He was yet again considered a stunning Don José, now his official gloss role.
