Pavarotti celebrates 40 years in opera

Legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti celebrated 40 years in opera with a special concert in the Italian town of his birth. Pavarotti, 65, was a guest of honor at Sunday’s concert, which featured fellow opera stars, including Three Tenors partner Jose Carreras. The third tenor, Placido Domingo, could not attend because of an emergency operation, CNN reports. Pavarotti sang three pieces during the three-hour concert held at Modena’s Opera House. Pavarotti’s singing has received harsh criticism in the past, suggesting his voice is starting to deteriorate. Since 1995, he has failed to hit the High C notes he used to sing so effortlessly. “Forty years is a long time, and I celebrated in the best way,” said Pavarotti, also known to fans as The Maestro. The tenor is next scheduled to appear at a fund-raising concert on May 29 for Afghan refugees in Modena. He also will perform in London’s Hyde Park and Peking’s Forbidden City later this year.