Suguru Yonezawa

Yonezawa, born in Naruto, won his first of multiple prizes in singing competitions in 1987, and from then on gave regular concerts, above all in Japan, but also in the USA or in Romania, for decades to come. In opera, he appeared but a few times, as Don José, Pinkerton and Calaf, at the Fujisawa Festival for instance, but also at some unknown place in Italy.

There is a reason for this kind of career, a strong reason: Yonezawa is primarily a medical researcher of international renown, specializing in cancer markers, and was a professor of pathology at Kagoshima University until his retirement.

He didn't, however, retire as a tenor (I'm writing this in 2023, and he's still concertizing regularly), and while his earlier recordings (hear above) are quite listenable, excessive wobble and pushed or screamed top notes make enduring his later efforts a tough task.

Reference for the biography and source for the picture (bottom): Yonezawa's website

I would like to thank Daniele Godor for the recording (Cuius animam) and picture (top).