He heard his first opera when he was 11 (it was Aida), and at that moment, he knew he would grow up to be an opera singer. That part came true. Less expected was that Luca Pisaroni would become as famous for his dogs as for his singing, a surprise for a man terrified of dogs into his late 20s.

The Venezuelan born bass baritone raised in Italy, Pisaroni has become known for his roles in operas written by Mozart, but his dogs, “Lenny,” a Golden Retriever, and “Tristan,” a miniature Dchshund are nearly as famous as their owner. The dogs help Pisaroni relax – now –  but according to him, his early fears were shaped by Italy’s  attitude toward dogs. “We have a weird culture around dogs in Italy – very uneducated and hostile.” It was only when Pisaroni met his future wife, Catherine, and her Golden Retriever, “Lenny,” that he became a true dog lover.  “It was love at first sight,” he says (though we’re not sure if he means his wife or her dog). When Lenny died suddenly in 2010, “it was like a part of my body was missing. Putting him down was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Luca and Catherine needed another dog which they got and named “Lenny 2.”  “Tristan,” the Dachshund, had been acquired a couple of years earlier, but the tiny Dachshie and Lenny 2 are inseparable. They have their own Facebook page and blog, and travel everywhere with the singer and his wife including rehearsals and performances.

In an interview, Luca said that he’s a lot like his Dachshund. “Tristan, just like me, always needs to be in control of the situation, needs to know exactly what’s going on, and is a little bit less relaxed,” he said.  In more ways than one. “Tristan” appeared in the Salzburg Festival’s most recent production of Le Nozze di Figaro. 

We end with the performance of another dog, Fred, a Bulldog who shares his “inner tenor” as he duets with Pavarotti.