Carlos Almenar Otero

Carlos José Almenar Otero (21 March 1926 – 7 August 2018) was a Venezuelan tenor and composer. Nicknamed “La voz de oro de Venezuela” (), he rose to international prominence after taking part in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer singing contest The Great Caruso, organised in 1951 to promote the film of the same name starring Mario Lanza. Early life and career Almenar Otero was born on 21 March 1926 in Aragua de Barcelona, the second of five children of a modest family. At his parents’ urging he initially studied law, but he abandoned his studies to pursue a musical career, singing in theatres and on radio. He shared the stage with contemporary artists including Alfredo Sadel on the radio programme La Caravana Camel. In 1951, when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer organised the international singing contest The Great Caruso to promote its film of the same name, Almenar won the Venezuelan stage. At the final, held in Rio de Janeiro, he received honourable mention; the contest was won by the Brazilian baritone João Gibin. Career in Europe Later in 1951, Almenar travelled to Italy to study at the Milan Conservatory and received private lessons from the tenor Nino Piccaluga, a former La Scala star. He made his