PAVAROTTI, LUCIANO

born Oct. 12, 1935, Modena, Italy Italian operatic lyric tenor, noted for his mastery of the highest notes of a tenor's range. Pavarotti graduated from a teaching institute in Modena (1955) and then taught elementary school for two years. He studied opera privately, mostly in Mantua. After winning the Concorso Internationale, a singing competition, he made his professional operatic debut in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 1961. He then played in opera houses throughout Europe and Australia. In 1968 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, and from 1971 was a regular performer there. Pavarotti became known to a wider public than opera connoisseurs; his concerts, recordings, and television appearanceswhich provided ample opportunity to display his ebullient personalitygained him a wide popular following. He is considered one of the finest bel canto opera singers of recent times. Even in the highest register, his voice is noted for its purity of tone. His most notable operatic roles include the duke in Rigoletto, Tonio in La Fille du Rgiment (with its demanding sequence of high C's), Arturo in I Puritani, and Radams in Aida.