Early life and career

Calleja was born in Attard, Malta. At 16, he started singing after being discovered by tenor Brian Cefai. He continued his training with Maltese tenor Paul Asciak. He studied at De La Salle College. At 19, he performed his first operatic role as Macduff in Verdi's Macbeth at the Astra Theatre in Gozo. That same year, he won a prize at the Belvedere Hans Gabor Competition. In 1998, he won the Caruso Competition in Milan. In 1999, he received a prize at Plácido Domingo's Operalia.

On November 2, 2012, the University of Malta gave Calleja a Doctor of Literature Honoris Causa to recognize his success as an internationally known tenor. On October 8, 2015, he was chosen to join the board of directors of the European Academy of Music Theatre.

Concerts in Malta

In 2009, Calleja began a series of yearly concerts at the Granaries in Malta. The first concert was performed with Michael Bolton. In 2010, he sang with Dionne Warwick and Riccardo Cocciante, along with a choir of 500 children. In 2011, he appeared with soprano Hayley Westenra and Italian singer Lucio Dalla. In 2012, he was joined by Ronan Keating and Gigi D'Alessio. In 2013, he sang with Zucchero, Rebecca Ferguson, Gianluca Bezzina, Riccardo Cocciante, and Tenisha. In 2015, he sang with Anastacia as a special guest. In 2012, Calleja was appointed Malta's first Cultural Ambassador, a role he takes seriously.

Recordings

Joseph Calleja's first solo recital album, Tenor Arias, was released in 2004. In 2005, he released another album called The Golden Voice. In 2011, his third solo album, Joseph Calleja – The Maltese Tenor, reached second place on the German charts and reached number one on the US Billboard Classical Traditional chart. His 2011 DVD of La traviata from the Royal Opera House, which featured Renée Fleming, was nominated for a Grammy award. In 2020, his album The Magic of Mantovani. The Original Recordings With Joseph Calleja reached the top of Amazon's UK Opera Charts.

Philanthropy

The Drake Calleja Trust was created on September 1, 2015. James Drake, a publisher and someone who helps others, started it. Joseph Calleja is the supporter of this trust. It has given 70 scholarships to students studying classical music in the United Kingdom. These scholarships help students buy new instruments, join competitions and training classes, attend tryouts in the UK and other countries, make recordings, and continue their education.

On October 25, 2013, Joseph Calleja and Bank of Valletta started the BOV Joseph Calleja Foundation. The goal is to help people and groups in need in the Maltese community. It especially helps children without enough support who have special talents in art or music.

List of recordings and videos

• 2003: A DVD of Maria Stuarda with Calleja as Leicester, recorded by the Fondazione Orchestra Stabile de Bergamo
• 2004: A solo recital disc titled Tenor Arias, conducted by Riccardo Chailly with the Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Milano
• 2004: A recording titled Puccini Discoveries: Cantata Cessato il suon dell'armi, conducted by Riccardo Chailly with the Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Milano
• 2005: A solo recital disc titled The Golden Voice, conducted by Carlo Rizzi with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields
• 2009: A CD of I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Calleja as Tebaldo, conducted by Fabio Luisi
• 2010: A DVD of Simon Boccanegra with Calleja as Gabriele Adorno and Plácido Domingo in the title role, recorded at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
• 2011: A DVD of La traviata with Calleja as Alfredo Germont, recorded at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London (received a Grammy nomination)
• 2011: A solo recital disc titled The Maltese Tenor, performed with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
• 2012: A solo recital disc titled Be My Love – A Tribute to Mario Lanza, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Steven Mercurio
• 2013: A solo recital disc titled Amore, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Steven Mercurio, and featuring Nicola Benedetti and Ksenija Sidorova
• 2013: A CD of Simon Boccanegra with Calleja as Gabriele Adorno and Thomas Hampson in the title role, conducted by Massimo Zanetti
• 2016: A DVD and Blu-ray of Mefistofele with Calleja as Faust and René Pape in the title role, conducted by Omer Meir Wellber at Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
• 2018: A recording of Verdi, performed by the Orchestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, conducted by Ramón Tebar, for Decca

Calleja appeared on Renée Fleming’s album By Request, singing the role of Alfredo in the end of Act 1 of La traviata. His recording of “La donna è mobile” from Verdi’s Rigoletto was included in the soundtrack for the 2007 film No Reservations, which stars Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Film

Calleja plays the role of tenor Enrico Caruso in the 2013 film The Immigrant, directed by James Gray. The film also includes actors Joaquin Phoenix and Marion Cotillard.