When the Frost Chorale performs in Barcelona on Tuesday, May 17, the concert will be for a good cause: the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation. José Carreras is a Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, he made his debut on the opera stage at the age of 11 as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro and went on to a career that encompassed over 60 roles on the stages of the world's leading opera houses and in the recording studio. He gained fame with a wider audience as one of The Three Tenors along with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti in a series of mass concerts that began in 1990 and continued until 2003. Carreras is also known for his humanitarian work as the president of the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation (La Fundació Internacional Josep Carreras per a la Lluita contra la Leucèmia), which he established following his own recovery from the disease in 1988. Supporting scientific research has been one of the biggest priorities of the José Carreras Foundation. Since 1988, the various José Carreras Foundations around the world have invested more than €100 million in research and have financed over 400 research projects.Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of white blood cells. In 2000, approximately 256,000 children and adults around the world developed some form of leukemia, and 209,000 died from it. About 90% of all leukemias are diagnosed in adults.
