Salvatore Licitra – Opera Singer, Maseratisti
Passionate About Opera – And Fast Cars

More: Third Record-breaking Month | Opera Singer, Maseratisti

Salvatore Licitra is one of the finest opera singers in the world. The Italian tenor performs to packed houses, and is in demand across the world – he has played in London and Paris, New York and Chicago, Shanghai and Tokyo. Salvatore first sprang into the limelight in 2002, when he stepped in to replace an ailing Luciano Pavarotti on just a few hours’ notice at the Metropolitan Opera, in New York.

Recently he gave a private performance in New York, at the Nespresso boutique on Madison Avenue; between the rehearsal and the concert, Maserati played host to Salvatore at the Park Avenue showroom where he met North American CEO James Selwa and received some items from the 2007 Maserati Collection. During the resulting conversation, it became clear that, when his busy schedule allows, Signor Licitra is a true thrill-seeker – and Maserati is a perfect match.

“I have a dream, that I hope to have enough time to enjoy a car like the Maserati,” Salvatore explained. “Unfortunately I never have enough time in one place. I live in New York and Switzerland – but in reality, my home is the airplane and airport. I’m always traveling around the world. Of course, I know about Maserati – I know about the 400 bhp engine, I know about the performance. For me, the Maserati is close to a supercar, it’s not a regular car; for sure it’s at the top of the luxury car line.”

For the short trip to and from the concert in New York, Salvatore was chauffeured in a Quattroporte – “New York isn’t the ideal place to try the performance of such a car, and there are so many potholes,” he told us. “But I have a friend who has a Maserati, and I have driven his. I enjoyed the performance so much, I have looked into participating in the racing series; but so far, the travel has made it impossible.”

Salvatore was delighted that the opportunity to experience a Maserati had been made available, and is thrilled to be associated with such a prestigious brand. “I am trying to offer the world the Italian style of opera, and trying to do so in the finest way – in places like the Metropolitan in New York, the Royal Opera House in London and so on,” he said. “Similarly, Maserati are trying to offer a car which is the best. Actually, that makes me sound arrogant – I don’t claim to be the best, I just want to try my best, to give the finest performance that I can. I try to communicate with the audience, to use my voice to express passion and emotion. That’s another connection between myself and Maserati, because for me Maserati gives huge emotion, because of the technology and speed.”

Speed was something which was mentioned several times during our chat with Signor Licitra. When asked about his pastimes, he replied: “I like to go skiing in the winter, which is easy when I am in Switzerland. During the summer I like sunshine and swimming, but I am also a certified scuba diver. I also like extreme sports – I have tried bungee jumping, and I would like to try sky-diving. My passion is speed – fast cars and fast motorcycles.”

With his 2006-07 concert season almost over, Salvatore hopes to find more time to indulge his passions – but he is in such demand that another round of flights, performances and personal appearances seem almost inevitable. He will be returning to the Metropolitan Opera in December, performing in Un Ballo in Maschera. Make the most of the opportunity to see an Italian legend in action – and make sure you stop by the Park Avenue showroom, and admire the Italian masterpieces that are a Maserati hallmark.

Learn more about Salvatore Licitra at www.salvatorelicitra.com.