Tenor Jose Carreras yesterday announced his second Shanghai concert on November 13 at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center.

"It's a pleasure to be back in the city," said Carreras, who held a concert at the Shanghai Grand Theater eight years ago. "It's good news that western classical music today has a better impact on the audience in Asia than before."

Carreras launched a two-month Asia concert tour, including stops in China, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia, at the end of September. He will hold concerts in Hangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanjing after Shanghai.

As the youngest among the three tenors, Carreras is the only one still active on the world's stage, holding more than 40 concerts in the first half of this year. Luciano Pavarotti is planning his farewell concert while Placido Domingo has moved into conducting.

Carreras will sing Spanish folk songs as well as a popular Chinese folk song "A place far and far away" at the Shanghai concert. He will cooperate with a Chinese soprano.

"Age is an obstacle for everyone, every job that we have to face," said the tenor who suffers from leukemia. "When a person becomes more mature, the art also becomes more mature and you have a deeper view of the character you are playing."

He said he would concentrate all his time and energy on his leukemia foundation. He plans to visit a local hospital to discuss cooperation with his Spain-based foundation.

Concert tickets are priced at between 300 yuan (US$37) and 1,800 yuan.

The Shanghai Opera Orchestra will accompany Carreras under the baton of Spanish conductor David Gimenez.

(Shanghai Daily October 13, 2005)