Salvatore Licitra's breakthrough as a popular tenor came in 2002 at the Met when he stepped in on short notice to replace the ailing Luciano Pavarotti as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca. Pavarotti's performance had been believed to be his last, and many ears were tuned in to Licitra's substitute performance. The up-and-coming tenor wasn't scheduled to debut at the Met until at least two more years, yet he wowed the crowd and tickled the critics, who wrote grandly of his performance. Suddenly, with one big break, Licitra had jumped into the contemporary classical world's spotlight, an overnight sensation. He had only first sung in the United States at the Richard Tucker Foundation Gala in November 2001. Licitra's promising career was cut short when he died in September 2011 following an accident in Sicily. ~ Jason Birchmeier