The heart-throb tenor, Paolo Fanale

You wouldn't think turning up to work in a T-shirt could change your life; but that's what happened to Italian tenor, Paolo Fanale, who is making his Covent Garden debut this week in the Royal Opera's Puccini triple bill Il Trittico, as Rinuccio in the comedy Gianni Schicchi. Fanale posted a clip of himself rehearsing with the Orchestre de Paris on Facebook and it spread like wildfire. He drew breathless admiration from women and men alike, for his tattooed biceps and clean-cut Joey-from-Friends looks – it wasn't just his mellifluous singing they liked. I caught up with the tenor between rehearsals to discuss  singing in a digital age.

Tell me about Paris

I made a video with Orchestre de Paris and in six days it had got over a million hits, and now people from all round the world come and talk to me. It went viral. People want something different. For me, it's normal to wear a T-shirt. Maybe people don't want to see tenors in tuxedos.

Are looks important in opera?

It's all important:  the voice; the body; the face. It all comes together. We need to be the same as the stars people watch on-screen. If you look at the women in opera at this moment, everyone is beautiful. The men are catching up.

How do you get younger people to go to the opera?

I want to tell young people that we can give you something magical. This great energy you get from the orchestra and the singers – it's completely different from real life. And after seeing opera, your life's different and tomorrow you'll look at things differently. This is old magic made by incredible geniuses.

How important is social media?

It is very important. I need television and interviews: I want people to come and see us. For me, opera is not only one person; it's a team of 300. There is no single star. So I always encourage my colleagues to do media too. We all need to get new people into the theatres because our audiences are getting older.

What's your ambition now?

I just want to sing for a long time. I don't push my voice. I sing a light repertoire: Mozart, Donizetti. The late Spanish tenor Alfredo Kraus is my inspiration. But in terms of how to sing, I watch [the legendary tenor] Beniamino Gigli on YouTube. You need only to sing 30 per cent; the remaining 70 per cent is just speaking. People sing too much. You need to respect the voice otherwise, in 10 years, you're finished.

How do you cope with being away from home?

It is very difficult. I have two small children and I won't l see them again for two months. Sometimes it hurts, but I'm doing this for them. When I was younger, I didn't have enough money to study singing. I work for them so they will have it easier.

How do you deal with fans online?

Well since the Paris video, I speak to people over Facebook. I have posted a lot of pictures from the rehearsals from Gianni Schicchi and people are really curious and want to come and see it. A lot of people send me pictures of the tickets they've bought because of my Facebook page.

Are you sure it's only pictures of their tickets they're sending?

Well, sometimes I get asked things which are not about opera. It may be a bit personal but I tell them to change the subject and get back to the music otherwise I switch off.  Women and men. But I treat it all as a joke… I won't describe all the messages I get. Maybe next time I'm in Paris I'll wear a jacket.

'Il Trittico' is at the Royal Opera House until 15 March. To book, visit roh.org.uk.

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