Juan Diego Florez sings encore at the Met

NEW YORK, April 23 (UPI) -- Peruvian operatic tenor Juan Diego Florez this week performed the first solo encore in 14 years at New York's Metropolitan Opera House.

Florez decided to perform the encore after singing nine high C's in "La Fille du Regiment" Monday evening, The New York Times reported. He reportedly performed the aria "Ah! Mes Amis" for a second time, hitting the high note another nine times.

Encores were banned at the Met for most of the 20th century as singers began giving more serious performances. The last solo encore was given by Luciano Pavarotti when he sang an aria from "Tosca" for a second time in 1994, Met officials told the Times.

Met General Manager Peter Gelb told the Times he chooses not to ban encores to ensure performances are "entertaining and exciting for the audience."

"It always depends on what the public wants," Florez said to the newspaper.