Joseph Calleja on tackling Mario Lanza

23 July 2012, 17:18 | Updated: 4 September 2012, 17:36

Jospeh Calleja talks to Classic FM's Lucy Coward about his new tribute album to Mario Lanza, his career to date and his various water-based hobbies.

Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja is, according to him, reaching the peak of his vocal powers. It’s just as well, because his latest album, Be My Love, is a tribute to one of the most famous tenors of all time, Mario Lanza.

With such a prestigious back catalogue to his name, recording some of Lanza’s most famous work was definitely a challenge for Calleja, but one that he apparently relished. The album is the latest in a long line of achievements that Calleja has enjoyed recently, and he is hopeful that the best is still to come.

But when he’s not re-interpreting the greats or furthering his operatic ambitions, he is content to relax in a variety of different ways: “I love anything to do with the water. Fishing, snorkelling, going on boats… and I discovered the joys of fly-fishing on the west coast of Scotland.”

Listen to our interview with Joseph Calleja now