Plácido Domingo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Plácido Domingo
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Domingo in June 2019
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| Born |
José Plácido Domingo Embil
21 January 1941 Madrid, Spain
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| Alma mater | National Conservatory of Music, Mexico |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1957–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Ana María Guerra Cué
(m. 1957; div. 1958)Marta Ornelas
(m. 1962) |
| Children | 3, including Plácido Jr. |
Plácido Domingo is a famous Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts manager. He was born on January 21, 1941. He has recorded over 100 complete operas. He is known for singing in many languages like Italian, French, German, and English.
For most of his career, he sang tenor roles, which are high male voices. He was especially famous for roles like Cavaradossi in Tosca and Otello. In the early 2010s, he started singing baritone parts, which are lower male voices. By 2020, he had performed 151 different roles!
Domingo is also successful in Latin and pop music. He has won 14 Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards. His album Perhaps Love (1981) made him famous outside opera. The song "Perhaps Love" with John Denver sold nearly four million copies. He also appeared in many opera movies. In 1990, he joined Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras to form The Three Tenors. Their first album became the best-selling classical album ever.
Plácido grew up in Mexico, working in his parents' zarzuela company. Zarzuela is a Spanish type of musical theater. He often promotes this art form. He also conducts operas and concerts. He was the general director of the Los Angeles Opera from 2017 to 2019. Before that, he led the Washington National Opera from 1996 to 2011. He helps young opera singers through his international competition, Operalia. He also does a lot of humanitarian work.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Plácido Domingo was born in Madrid, Spain, on January 21, 1941. His mother said they knew he would be a musician from age five. He could hum complex music after hearing it just once. In 1949, when he was almost eight, his family moved to Mexico. His parents were both singers and started a zarzuela company there.
Soon after arriving, Plácido won a singing contest for boys. His parents sometimes cast him and his sister in children's roles. He started piano lessons at a young age. At 14, he entered the National Conservatory of Music of Mexico. There, he also took conducting classes and voice lessons. He never had a private singing teacher.
First Performances and Roles
In 1957, at 16, Domingo performed professionally for the first time. He played piano for his mother at a concert. That same year, he made his big zarzuela debut. He sang a baritone role in Gigantes y cabezudos. He worked with his parents' company, singing baritone parts and playing piano for others.
The next year, a tenor in another company got sick. Domingo stepped in to sing a tenor role in Luisa Fernanda. This was his first time singing as a tenor. Later that year, he sang the tenor role of Rafael in the Spanish opera El gato montés. This showed he was willing to try tenor parts, even though he still thought of himself as a baritone.
In 1959, Domingo auditioned for the Mexico National Opera. He was asked to sing a tenor song. He was accepted as a tenor and a tutor for other singers. He considers his opera debut to be September 23, 1959. He sang a small role in Verdi's Rigoletto. He also appeared in other small parts. He even performed in the musical My Fair Lady. He was also an assistant conductor for the show.
To earn more money, young Domingo played piano for a ballet company. He also worked for a cultural TV station in Mexico. He acted in a few small plays too. He even provided backup vocals for a rock-and-roll band! He later said that his busy teenage years helped him handle his heavy workload today.
A Growing Career in Opera
Starting Out in the 1960s
In 1961, Domingo sang his first main opera role. He was Alfredo in La traviata in Monterrey, Mexico. Later that year, he debuted in the United States. He sang in Lucia di Lammermoor in Dallas. In 1962, he returned to Texas to sing in the same opera. That November, he sang the role of Cassio in Otello. At the end of 1962, he signed a contract with the Israel National Opera. He stayed for two and a half years, performing 280 times in 12 different roles.
In June 1965, Domingo auditioned for the New York City Opera. He was hired to sing Don José in Carmen. But his debut happened earlier. On June 17, 1965, he filled in for another singer in Madama Butterfly. In February 1966, he sang the main role in the U.S. premiere of Don Rodrigo. Critics loved it. The New York Times praised his "heroic voice" and "fine acting skills."
Metropolitan Opera and International Stages
His official debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York was on September 28, 1968. He stepped in for another singer in Adriana Lecouvreur. He had already performed with the Met before this. Since then, he has opened the Met season 21 times. This is more than any other singer! He has performed with the company every season since 1968–1969.
He also debuted at the Vienna State Opera in 1967. He sang at La Scala and San Francisco Opera in 1969. In 1975, Domingo debuted at the famous Salzburg Festival. He sang the main role in Don Carlo. He has now sung at almost every important opera house and festival worldwide.
Domingo first sang Mario Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca in 1961. He sang this role many times, especially at the Met. It became one of his most frequent roles. In September 1975, Domingo debuted in the main role of Verdi's Otello. This soon became his signature role. He performed it over 200 times! The famous actor Laurence Olivier said Domingo played Otello as well as he did, "and he has that voice."
Conducting and Growing Fame
Domingo also started conducting operas and orchestras. On October 7, 1973, he conducted his first opera. It was La traviata in New York. That same year, he released his first album as a conductor. He began to conduct at major opera houses around the world. In 1983, he led a televised performance of Die Fledermaus. Three years later, he recorded the operetta, both conducting and singing in it.
The 1980s brought Domingo even more success. In 1981, he became widely known outside opera. He recorded "Perhaps Love" with country singer John Denver. He then made many more pop and Latin music albums. Domingo hoped these albums would bring more people to opera. These popular ventures led to many TV appearances. He was interviewed on shows like The Tonight Show and 60 Minutes. Many of his opera performances were also shown on TV.
He also starred in opera movies. In 1982, he filmed La Traviata. He worked with director Franco Zeffirelli. In 1984, Domingo filmed Carmen in Spain. Zeffirelli and Domingo worked together again on Otello.
Even with his diverse career, he kept performing in operas. By 1982, Newsweek called him "King Of The Opera." The magazine praised his "heroic voice, superb musicianship, fine acting skills and dashing Latin good looks."
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In September 1985, a huge earthquake hit Mexico City. Domingo's aunt, uncle, nephew, and his nephew's son died. Domingo canceled performances and helped rescue survivors. For the next year, he performed benefit concerts for the victims. He also released an album from one of these events. In 1986, he sang for Queen Elizabeth II. He also performed in Goya, an opera written just for him.
Career Since 1990
New Roles and Performances
Since the 1990s, Domingo has added many new roles to his list. He also stopped singing some of his earlier parts. He started singing more Wagnerian operas. He debuted as Parsifal in 1991 and Siegmund in 1992. He sang these roles for almost 20 years.
In 1994, he sang in a Mozart opera, Idomeneo, for the first time in over 30 years. He also appeared in rare operas like Stiffelio and Il Guarany. Towards the end of the 1990s, he sang his first Russian-language opera, The Queen of Spades.
In the 2000s, he focused on new roles. He sang in La battaglia di Legnano and Sly. Domingo also helped make Cyrano de Bergerac more popular. Later in the decade, he appeared in 18th-century operas like Iphigénie en Tauride.
He also created new roles in modern operas. In 2006, he sang the main role in The First Emperor at the Metropolitan Opera. This was shown in movie theaters worldwide. In 2010, he created the role of the poet Pablo Neruda in Il Postino. In 2011–2012, he sang Neptune in The Enchanted Island.
Famous Appearances
Domingo became even more famous worldwide after the The Three Tenors concert. This happened on the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup final in Rome. He sang with José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti. The concert raised money for a leukemia foundation. They repeated the concert at the next three World Cup finals. Their first recording sold over three million copies in the U.S. alone. It became the best-selling classical album ever.
About 1.3 billion people watched their second World Cup performance on TV. That recording also sold millions. Domingo performed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final in Berlin. He also performed before the 2014 FIFA World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro. He even recorded the official song for the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain, "El Mundial."
Domingo is a big football fan. He supports Real Madrid C.F., his hometown team. In 2002, he sang the club's new anthem for their 100th anniversary. He performed it live at the Bernabeu Stadium. In 2016, he sang a new version of Real Madrid's "Hala Madrid y nada más".
On August 24, 2008, Domingo sang a duet at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing. This was his second Olympics performance. He also sang at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
In 2002, he appeared on Santana's album Shaman. He sang for Pope Benedict XVI in Washington, D.C., in 2008. In 2009, the Metropolitan Opera celebrated his 40th anniversary with a special gala. In 2011, he canceled a performance to support striking musicians.
Leading Opera Companies
Domingo started working with the Washington National Opera in 1986. He became its Artistic Director in 1996. He brought new energy to the company. He used his connections to bring international stars to perform. In 2003, he became the General Director.
At the same time, he was Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Opera since 2000. He became its General Director in 2003. He renewed his contract there through 2013. He decided not to renew his contract with the Washington National Opera in 2011. The Washington Post praised his work there. He brought in many international stars and important productions. He also supported American operas.
Domingo once said, "When I rest, I rust." This shows how much he loves to work.
Singing Baritone Roles
In 2007, Domingo announced he would sing a demanding baritone role. This was the main character in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. His first performance in this role was in Berlin in 2009. He performed it 29 more times around the world.
After the success of Simon Boccanegra, Domingo sang other baritone roles. He sang Rigoletto in Verdi's Rigoletto in 2010. In 2012, he sang Athanaël in Massenet's Thaïs. This was his 139th role! He also sang Rigoletto in a live TV broadcast in Italy.
He appeared as Doge Francesco Foscari in Verdi's I due Foscari in 2012. In 2013, he sang Giorgio Germont in Verdi's La Traviata for the first time. The next year, he sang Giacomo in Giovanna d'Arco. Later in 2014, he debuted as the Conte di Luna in Il trovatore. He also sang the main role in Verdi's Nabucco in 2013. He has performed it in many cities since then. In 2015, he debuted in the main role of Verdi's Macbeth.
On June 13, 2018, Plácido Domingo performed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening gala concert in Moscow. He sang with other famous opera stars.
Family and Personal Life
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Domingo's parents, Plácido Domingo Ferrer and Pepita Embil, were both famous zarzuela singers. They helped him develop his musical talents. His father started as a violinist and then sang baritone roles. His mother was a soprano who debuted in Barcelona. They met while performing together.
In 1946, his parents formed a zarzuela company and toured Latin America. They later stayed in Mexico and started their own company. Plácido also has a sister, Maria José.
On August 29, 1957, at age 16, Domingo married Ana María Guerra Cué. Their son, José Plácido Domingo Guerra, was born in 1958. However, the marriage ended soon after. On August 1, 1962, Domingo married Marta Ornelas. She was a soprano he met at the conservatory. Marta was voted "Mexican Singer of the Year" in 1962. After their wedding, they often performed together. Marta later stopped her singing career to focus on their family. They have two sons, Plácido Francisco (known as Plácido Domingo Jr.), born in 1965, and Alvaro Maurizio, born in 1968.
After living in Israel, the Domingos moved to New Jersey in the 1960s. He later had homes in Manhattan and Barcelona. He now has a house in his native Madrid. During breaks, he spends time with his family at their vacation home in Acapulco, Mexico.
In March 2010, he had surgery for colon cancer. In July 2013, he was hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism but recovered fully. In October 2015, he had surgery for his gallbladder.
Recordings
Opera and Classical Albums
Domingo has made over 200 recordings. Most are full-length operas. He has recorded almost all the main tenor roles, some more than once. As a teenager, he appeared in small parts on Spanish-language cast recordings of musicals. In 1968, he released his first solo album, Recital of Italian Operatic Arias. It won a major award.
He recorded his first complete opera, Il trovatore, in 1969. He continued to record many operas from the 1970s into the 2000s. He has recorded all of Puccini's tenor roles. He also has a collection of every major tenor song by Verdi. He has recorded vocal parts in symphonic works and conducted on some albums.
In 2005, EMI Classics released a recording of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. Domingo and Nina Stemme sang the main roles. The Economist called the recording "monumental." In September 2011, at age 70, he signed a new record contract with Sony Classics.
Crossover Albums
Domingo has also released many crossover albums. These combine classical music with other styles. His pop album, Perhaps Love (1981), sold very well. Other popular albums include My Life for a Song (1983) and Save Your Nights for Me (1985). His album Be My Love (1990) went gold in Britain.
His English version of "Bésame Mucho" was nominated for a Grammy in 1984. The next year, he won a Grammy for his album of Ernesto Lecuona songs, Always in My Heart. In 2012, he recorded Songs with Josh Groban and Susan Boyle. In 2015, he released a holiday album, My Christmas.
Since the early 1980s, Domingo has released several Latin albums. Two of them featured music by Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara. He also dedicated two albums to Mexican music. 100 años de Mariachi (1999) went platinum in the U.S. and gold in Mexico. He said the Grammy he won for this album meant the most to him.
Appearances on Film and Television
Domingo has starred in several opera films. His three movies from the 1980s won important awards. Zeffirelli's La Traviata and Otello were nominated for Academy Awards. The soundtracks of La Traviata and Rosi's Carmen won Grammy Awards. He also made opera films for TV.
He has appeared in many Live from the Metropolitan Opera telecasts. He has also been on TV from other opera houses. In 1978, he starred in a La Scala production of Manon Lescaut. Many of his concerts and zarzuela shows have been televised.
Domingo has also made guest appearances on TV. He was on The Cosby Show in Season 5. In 1989, he was featured in a series called Return Journey. He returned to Madrid and talked about his life there. At the 65th Academy Awards in 1993, he sang "Beautiful Maria of My Soul" from The Mambo Kings. He was the first Spaniard to perform at the Academy Awards.
Domingo was an executive producer for the 1998 Mexican film The Other Conquest. His son Alvaro produced it. Domingo also sang an original song for the movie. He sang "In Pace" in the movie Hamlet (1996). In 2008, he voiced a Chihuahua named Montezuma in Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua. He also voiced a character in the animated film The Book of Life in 2014.
Christmas in Vienna Concerts
In December 1992, Domingo performed with José Carreras and pop star Diana Ross. It was a televised Christmas concert in Vienna. Vienna was chosen because it is a capital of music. The concert was seen by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Plácido Domingo returned for many more Christmas in Vienna concerts. He performed with stars from pop and classical music. These included Dionne Warwick, Charles Aznavour, Sarah Brightman, and Luciano Pavarotti.
Repertoire
Domingo has sung 151 roles in six languages. His main roles are in Italian, French, and German operas. He has performed in more operas by Giuseppe Verdi than any other composer.
He has created original roles in eight new operas. He also performed in the U.S. premieres of Don Rodrigo and Cyrano de Bergerac. He continues to add new roles. In September 2015, he sang Schicchi in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.
After taking on baritone roles, he sang Conte Di Luna in Il Trovatore. He had previously sung the tenor role of Manrico in the same opera. His last major role in a full opera was the main character in Nabucco in December 2019.
Awards and Honors
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Plácido Domingo has received many awards for his music. He has also been honored for his benefit concerts and charity work. In 1978, Madrid placed a plaque at his birthplace.
He won his first Grammy Award in 1971. He has won eight more Grammys and five Latin Grammy awards. He was also named Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.
He is an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire since 2002. In 2006, he received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Other major awards include the Prince of Asturias Award for Arts (1991) from Spain. He also received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2009, he received the first Birgit Nilsson Prize. In 2012, he was voted into Gramophone's Hall of Fame.
In 2014, he received an honorary music degree from Berklee College of Music. In 2018, Iberia Airlines named their first Airbus A350 after him.
Helping Others and Young Artists
Domingo is very involved in helping others. He has given many benefit concerts for disaster relief and charities. In 1986, he performed to raise money for victims of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. In 2007, a statue was unveiled in Mexico City in his honor. It was made from keys donated by people.
He continues to do charity work in Mexico and other countries. After Hurricane Pauline in 1997, he gave concerts to build new homes. In 2003, he performed to help the Ciudad de la Alegria Foundation. This group helps people in need. In 2007, he performed in Athens to help victims of the conflict in Darfur.
In 2006, Domingo sang at a concert to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He said, "MUSIC IS THE VOICE OF HOPE!" The concert raised $700,000. In 2008, the city named the stage at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre the "Plácido Domingo stage."
In June 2010, Domingo became President of Europa Nostra. This group promotes European cultural heritage. He also supports environmental efforts. He is an ambassador for the Hear the World initiative, raising awareness about hearing loss.
Operalia and Young Artists
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Domingo especially tries to help young opera singers. In 1993, he started Operalia, The World Opera Competition. This is an international competition for talented young singers. Winners get chances to work in opera companies worldwide.
Many leading opera singers today have won prizes in Operalia. These include Joseph Calleja and Joyce DiDonato. Domingo has often performed with Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón, who won three prizes at Operalia in 1999.
Besides Operalia, Domingo helps many young artists. He has started programs to train young opera singers. These are at the Los Angeles Opera and in Valencia, Spain. In 2016, he performed at a benefit for the Esperanza Azteca Los Angeles Youth Orchestra.
Writings
Plácido Domingo has also written several books. His autobiography, My First Forty Years, was published in 1983. He also co-authored books about opera and zarzuela. These include Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving Opera and The Zarzuela Companion. He also wrote Plácido Domingo: My Operatic Roles, which talks about his many characters.
See also
In Spanish: Plácido Domingo para niños
- Bust of Plácido Domingo
- Category:Plácido Domingo albums
- List of best-selling Latin music artists
