When Carmelo Alfano’s father played recordings of Beniamino Gigli, he asked his son to stop and listen. Carmelo sometimes questioned why, only to be told that one day he would understand. That childhood exchange became a lasting memory for the London-based artist, whose relationship with music began through his father’s enthusiasm for opera rather than an immediate decision to pursue it professionally.
An accomplished amateur tenor, his father helped establish the foundations of Alfano’s musical life. Carmelo initially explored acting before music became a central pursuit, and he has since wondered whether following that path was partly a way of becoming closer to his father. Voice lessons eventually took him to Modena, where he spent two years studying with a teacher of Luciano Pavarotti, immersing himself in Italian vocal training.
Alfano’s family roots are in Sicily, while his upbringing was distinctly Sicilian-English. His family history also includes a connection to operatic composer Franco Alfano, to whom he is related. His own working life, however, has extended beyond classical music: alongside performing, he has worked as an actor and television sound engineer, and his band supported James Blunt during its time on the London live circuit.
Those experiences form the background to “Is This You?”, Alfano’s lead single scheduled for release on 1 September 2026. The announcement begins another chapter without diminishing the importance of his earliest musical encounters. Long before the gigs, industry contacts and recording projects, there was a father sharing the music he loved and a son gradually discovering what it meant to him.
