Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Peru's Juan Diego Flórez received a standing ovation for his spectacular and powerful voice at the premiere of Gaetano Donizetti's "La Fille du Régiment" on Monday evening at the New York Metropolitan Opera House.

His nine stunning high C's brought on infinite cheers and applause at the Met.

Breaking character, Juan Diego, who played the lovesick Tonio, responded with a bow and graced the audience with something that has not happened at the Met since 1994: a solo encore.

He captivated the audience once again as he sang the aria “Ah! Mes Amis”, perfectly hitting the nine high C's for the audience's delight.

The crowd was brought to their feet in cheers and applause in midperformance.

Juan Diego followed in the steps of the star that dubbed him his successor, Luciano Pavarotti, who was the last person to have repeated an aria on the Met stage in over a decade.

In October 2003, Juan Diego Flórez was described by Pavarotti as the tenor who could replace him.

The New York Times described the performance as "one of those thrilling moments that opera impresarios live for".

Click here to see why else Peruvians are so proud of Juan Diego and why his is one of the 101 Reasons to be Proud of Peru.