Plácido Domingo
Who is Plácido Domingo?
José Plácido Domingo Embil was born in Madrid on January 21, 1941, the son of zarzuela singers Plácido Domingo and Pepita Embil. In 1949 his family moved to Mexico City to work in musical theatre, and there he studied piano and conducting at the National Conservatory of Music. His career as an opera singer — pursued both as a tenor and, in recent years, in baritone repertoire — has made him one of the most recognisable figures in classical music worldwide.
Career
He made his stage debut on May 12, 1959, at the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara (Mexico), and that same year performed his first tenor role, Alfredo in “La Traviata.” In 1962 he joined the Tel Aviv Opera, where he spent two and a half years and gave around 280 performances that proved decisive to his artistic formation. From there he built an international career that took him to the world’s leading opera houses, while also serving as general director of the Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera.
In 1982 he recorded the official theme song for the FIFA World Cup held in Spain. Following the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, in which he lost several relatives, he personally took part in rescue efforts and organised charity concerts for the victims, including one held in 1986 in Los Angeles alongside artists such as Frank Sinatra and Julie Andrews. In recognition of his charitable work, a statue was erected in his honour in Mexico City in 2007.
Notable discography
His operatic repertoire covers the great roles of classical singing in Italian, French and German, as well as Spanish zarzuela. In 2011, to mark his 70th birthday, he was honoured with a gala at the Teatro Real in Madrid, attended by Queen Sofía.
Legacy
With more than six decades of career, Plácido Domingo is regarded as one of the great tenors in history and one of the Spanish voices with the greatest international reach, as well as a key figure in the management and promotion of opera worldwide.