Vittorio Grigolo is undeniably one of the finest artists of his generation.

Born on Feb. 19, the tenor embodies what most would want from a leading man. Great looks. Tremendous acting dynamics. A powerfully resonant voice with both strength and tenderness. And most of all, he is highly unpredictable, meaning that every performance is quite an adventure.

Grigolo’s artistry has bloomed tremendously in just the last few years and his work is widely available on a number of album releases. But we are going to pick just three that define his artistry to this point and can really give you a great idea of what he has to offer if you’ve never experienced the Italian tenor.

The Romantic Hero

The tenor’s French album shows exquisite sense of control from Grigolo. He is quite often free and rhapsodic with his singing (and it is still present here to be sure), but he is also more restrained and refined in how he approaches this repertoire. He is one of the few tenors that really has a sense and ability to modulate his voice to suit all manner of French style, going from potent and forceful to gentle and suave in others. This album is quite elegant through and through.

The Italian Tenor

The tenor’s finest display of his work in the Italian repertoire is this release for Sony. It has all the repertory staples that one might expect from such composers as Verdi, Puccini, and Donizetti which makes it the perfect entry for anyone uninitiated to the tenor’s work. What is most riveting here is just how much unbridled passion we get from Grigolo. It serves as a nice contrast to his approach in his French repertoire, but also explores how he feels them very much in a similar vein – with tremendous intensity.

Les Contes d’Hoffmann

There aren’t very many video releases of the tenor at work and less so as a leading man. So it makes sense that his signature role of Hoffmann would be available via Sony. And it is worth it. Here we see Grigolo the actor at his most breathtaking. If ever you want to see someone “Go for it,” then this is the DVD to watch. He nails a manic-depressive interpretation wonderfully, all the while showcasing the character as an empathetic romantic.