Placido Domingo

José Plácido Domingo Embil was born on January 21, 1941, in Madrid, Spain, to parents who were also zarzuela singers. His family relocated to Mexico when he was eight, where he began piano studies and later attended the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, focusing on conducting and voice. At age 16, Domingo made his professional debut accompanying his mother on piano and soon after, his major zarzuela debut in a baritone role. By 1959, he auditioned for the Mexico National Opera, initially as a baritone, but quickly transitioned to tenor roles, where he gained initial experience in various operatic productions. This early exposure to diverse roles and a heavy workload helped shape his extensive career.

Domingo’s operatic career began in earnest in 1961 with his leading role debut as Alfredo in ‘La traviata’ in Monterrey, followed by his U.S. debut with the Dallas Civic Opera. He further honed his craft by performing 280 times in 12 different roles during a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Israel National Opera. His New York debut came in 1965, filling in for an ailing tenor in ‘Madama Butterfly’ at the New York City Opera, and his Metropolitan Opera debut occurred in 1968. Over the subsequent decades, Domingo achieved global recognition, performing at major opera houses worldwide and opening the Metropolitan Opera season 21 times, a record surpassing Enrico Caruso. He also began conducting operas and symphony orchestras in the early 1970s, releasing a debut album as a conductor in 1973.

The 1980s marked a period of increasing celebrity for Domingo, extending beyond the classical music world. He recorded popular songs like “Perhaps Love” with John Denver, which helped him reach a wider audience and led to numerous television appearances. He starred in several critically acclaimed opera films, including ‘La Traviata’ (1982), ‘Carmen’ (1984), and ‘Otello’ (1986). In 1990, he joined Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras to form The Three Tenors, a phenomenon that introduced opera to a global audience and resulted in the best-selling classical album of all time. Domingo also took on administrative roles, serving as Artistic Director and later General Director of the Washington National Opera from 1996 to 2011, and General Director of the Los Angeles Opera from 2000 to 2019. He continually expanded his repertoire, incorporating Wagnerian works and, notably, baritone roles such as ‘Simon Boccanegra’ from 2009 onward.