Minnesota Opera director recalls the power of Pavarotti

by Karl Gehrke, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — As an undergraduate studying French horn, Minnesota Opera artistic director Dale Johnson had little interest in opera.

But after seeing Pavarotti as Rodolfo in a touring Metropolitan Opera production of Puccini's "La Boheme," he first came to understand the power of opera.

It took a few more years before Johnson became an opera convert, but Pavarotti's performance that night left an indelible impression that took his musical career into an unexpected direction.

In a conversation with Minnesota Public Radio's Karl Gehrke, Johnson reflects on Pavarotti's career, and what made the legendary tenor one of the most famous classical artists in the world. Johnson says at the center of Pavarotti's magic was a larger-than-life personality.