Abroad he has performed at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, the Royal Opera House in London, the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, San Francisco Opera House, the Konzerthaus and the Staatsoper in Vienna, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and others.

[5] Edward Seckerson of The Independent said of his performance as Falstaff at the Royal Opera House of London that he is "wonderfully real, animating all aspects of the text and making great play of the innate contradiction between a booming, boorish, authority and those mellifluous remnants of wily old airs and graces.

"[6] One of his earliest roles was Monterone in Rigoletto, in 1999; he was cast by then-director Placido Domingo at the Washington National Opera.

[8] In 2012 he played the role of Dr Dulcamara in Gaetano Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore in Vienna, and at the Metropolitan Opera in September and October alongside Anna Netrebko.

[11] Besides his involvement in opera, he is known for his published recipes for Italian food (particularly risottos), and for his cooking videos (some of which are posted to YouTube.