Silver-haired and dressed in a chocolate brown jacket fastened over a cream neck scarf, Jose Carreras appears relaxed as he lounges back into a wicker armchair at his Auckland hotel.
It was hard to believe he'd just flown in from Barcelona the night before, but he laughed and said he'd had some time to rest.
His visit - to perform at Elephant Hill Estate and Winery in Hawke's Bay on Saturday - is not his first to New Zealand.
He was here in 1994 to perform in Auckland, and in 2003 he performed two recitals, one in Auckland and one in Wellington.
Even at 62, he is not even thinking of slowing down, and is still performing concerts regularly, about 55 to 60 a year.
"Of course, it is not just the 55 or 60 concerts, it's the rehearsing, the preparation, and the travelling. It keeps me busy 10 to 11 months of the year.
"The problem is I never learn how to enjoy and visit places as a tourist. I try to visit as much as I can but it's not always easy when I have to focus on performing," he said.
Carreras gave his most recent performance just last week in his home town in Spain.
And after his concert on Saturday, he will head to Australia for three concerts, then he will return to Europe for a couple of performances in Austria, before spending four weeks touring the United States.
So what is it that keeps him going and still so passionate about singing?
"I just enjoy what I'm doing very much. Singing has always been a very important part of my life, and for me it's the best way to communicate with people and express myself. I consider myself a very fortunate man to be able to do that," he said.
Keeping the voice in top condition is very important for any singer, particularly a tenor.
And Carreras takes it very seriously.
"It is essential to observe a certain discipline, and over the years you learn what is good and what is not. This discipline is fundamental I think for a singer, particularly an opera singer. You need to have the same mentality as an athlete to observe these kind of rules," he said.
He preserves his voice by avoiding air conditioning, ice drinks and talking too much, by sleeping enough hours and good diet.
"All these things are not impossible to do, but you have to have this outward discipline which is quite important.
"And it doesn't get easier over time," he said.
"It's just the contrary. The pressure and the tension of going on stage is always there. But I think this is good. In this kind of profession, if it becomes a routine it's not a good thing, " he said.
Despite being one of the most prominent singers of his generation, Carreras was catapulted further into the limelight as one of The Three Tenors alongside Placido Domingo and the late Luciano Pavarotti in a series of mass concerts that began in 1990 and continued until 2003.
"It has always been a wonderful trip for me. Artistically and personally, it has always been something special.
"At the beginning, we had respect and admiration for each other.
"Then over the years, this respect and admiration became a very close friendship ," he said.
So is there any singer he would still like to perform with?
"Maria Callas," he laughed, without hesitation.
"Unfortunately that will never happen. Well, not on earth, but you never know," he chuckled.
"There's a lot of people I admire. But I think Maria Callas has been the greatest soprano ever. Callas has something very special, she is a real icon," he said.
Carreras is also known for his humanitarian work as the president of the Jose Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation, which he set up following his own recovery from the disease in 1988.
"We created the leukaemia foundation right after my illness.
"The first branch was created in Barcelona. Now we have branches in the United States, Germany and Switzerland. What we basically do is fight against the disease, by supporting scientific research and supporting hospitals to try to create better infrastructure for the treatment of leukaemia.
"We try to improve the quality of life of the patient during treatment. We do everything we can to help people to be cured from the disease. Also we are the Spanish registry for non-related donors," Carreras said.
"And I say this without being presumptuous, we are doing a very good job.
"But it is never enough. We fight with determination and our objective is clear. We're trying to fight the disease until leukaemia is curable for everyone in every case."
Carreras has been in the clear for 20 years.
"I live a completely normal life in every aspect. I have just a couple of blood tests two or three times a year, but at my age everybody should do that," he said.
"I'm a very fortunate man that I was able to beat the disease," he said.
On Saturday he will be joined on stage by conductor Miquel Ortega, and will perform with the Vector Wellington Orchestra and 27-year-old New Zealand emerging soprano Anna Leese.
"Everybody keeps telling me that Elephant Hill is a beautiful place, and I'm looking forward to meeting the audience and hoping that we can please them," he said.
"It will be more or less the kind of concert I perform everywhere, with some Italian, Spanish and operatic pieces as well.
"Anna Leese will be joining me on stage, and it will be a pleasure to sing with such a talented young lady. I've already sung with her in England and in Asia last year, and I'm happy to be performing with her again."
