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 |
| 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. |
José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a famous Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts leader. He has recorded over 100 full operas. He is known for being able to sing in many languages, including Italian, French, German, Spanish, English, and Russian. He has performed in the most famous opera houses around the world.
For most of his career, Domingo was a tenor, which is a high male singing voice. He was especially famous for roles like Cavaradossi in Tosca and Otello in Otello. In the early 2010s, he started singing baritone roles, which are lower male voices. By 2020, he had performed in 151 different opera roles.
Domingo has also been very successful in other types of music, like Latin and pop music. He has won 14 Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards. Many of his albums have sold millions of copies. His first pop album, Perhaps Love (1981), made him famous outside of opera. The song "Perhaps Love" was a duet with singer John Denver. It sold nearly four million copies.
Domingo grew up working in his parents' zarzuela company in Mexico. Zarzuela is a Spanish musical play with singing and speaking. He has often helped promote this type of Spanish opera. He also conducts operas and concerts. He was the general director of the Los Angeles Opera in California from 2017 to 2019. Before that, he led the Washington National Opera from 1996 to 2011. Domingo has also done a lot of good work to help people. He helps young opera singers through his international singing competition, Operalia.
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Early Life and Musical Start
Plácido Domingo was born on January 21, 1941, in Madrid, Spain. His mother said that by age five, they knew he would be a musician. He could hum complicated music from a zarzuela after hearing it just once. In 1949, when he was almost eight, his family moved to Mexico. His parents were both singers and wanted to start a zarzuela company there.
Soon after arriving in Mexico, Domingo won a singing contest for boys. His parents sometimes asked him and his sister to play children's roles in their shows. Domingo started learning piano at a young age. He later studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City when he was 14. There, he also took conducting classes and singing lessons. These classes were all the formal vocal training he ever had.
In 1957, at 16, Domingo performed professionally for the first time. He played the piano for his mother at a concert. The same year, he made his first big zarzuela performance. He sang a baritone role in Gigantes y cabezudos. He worked with his parents' company, singing baritone parts and playing piano for other singers.
The next year, the main tenor in another company's show got sick. Domingo stepped in to sing the tenor role in Luisa Fernanda. This was his first time singing as a tenor. He was worried the part was too high for his voice. 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 roles, even though he still thought of himself as a baritone.
In 1959, Domingo tried out for the Mexico National Opera. He auditioned as a baritone. But they asked him to sing a tenor song, and he was accepted as a tenor. He also tutored other singers. He considered his first opera performance to be a small role in Verdi's Rigoletto on September 23. He later sang other small parts. In the summer of 1962, at age 21, he sang the small role of Cassio in Verdi's Otello. Years later, he would become world-famous for singing the main role of Otello.
To earn more money, young Domingo played piano for a ballet company. He also played for a TV show that featured parts of zarzuelas, operettas, and musicals. He acted in a few small theater plays. He also helped a rock-and-roll band called Los Camisas Negras. Domingo later said that his busy teenage years helped him handle his heavy workload later in life. He loved being busy then, and he still loves it now.
A Career in Opera and Beyond
Starting His Opera Journey
In 1961, Domingo sang his first main opera role as Alfredo in La traviata. This was in Monterrey, Mexico. Later that year, he performed in the United States for the first time. He sang in Lucia di Lammermoor in Dallas. In 1962, he went back to Texas to sing in the same opera.
At the end of 1962, he signed a contract with the Israel National Opera in Tel Aviv. He stayed there for two and a half years. During that time, he sang in 280 performances of 12 different roles.
In June 1965, Domingo auditioned for the New York City Opera. He was hired to sing Don José in Bizet's Carmen. But his debut happened earlier than planned. On June 17, 1965, he stepped in for a sick singer in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. In February 1966, he sang the main role in the first U.S. performance of Ginastera's Don Rodrigo. This was at the New York City Opera and was highly praised.
His official debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York was on September 28, 1968. He filled in for another singer in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. He has opened the season at the Metropolitan Opera 21 times. This is more than any other singer in history. He has performed with the company every season since 1968. He also made his debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1967 and at La Scala in 1969. He has sung in almost every important opera house and festival worldwide.
Domingo first sang Mario Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca in 1961. He continued to sing this role for many years. It became one of his most frequent roles. In September 1975, Domingo first sang the main role in Verdi's Otello. This role soon became his signature. He performed it over 200 times. Famous actor Laurence Olivier said after seeing him: "Domingo plays Othello as well as I do and he has that voice."
Domingo also started conducting operas and sometimes symphony orchestras. On October 7, 1973, he conducted his first opera, La traviata. The same year, he released his first album as a conductor. He began to conduct more often at major opera houses.
Becoming a Global Star
The 1980s were a time when Domingo became even more famous. In 1981, he became widely known outside of opera. He recorded the song "Perhaps Love" with country singer John Denver. After this, he made many more albums of popular and Latin music. Domingo hoped that these albums would help more people discover opera.
These non-opera projects led to many TV appearances. He was interviewed on talk shows and news programs. More of his opera performances were also shown on television.
Domingo acted in his first opera movie, La Traviata, in 1982. He worked with famous director Franco Zeffirelli. In 1984, Domingo filmed the role of Don José in the movie version of Carmen. Two years later, he worked with Zeffirelli again for another opera movie, Otello.
Even while doing other projects, he kept performing in many operas. By 1982, Newsweek magazine called Domingo "King Of The Opera" on its cover. The magazine praised his "heroic voice, superb musicianship, fine acting skills and dashing Latin good looks."
In September 1985, a huge earthquake hit Mexico City. Domingo's aunt, uncle, nephew, and his nephew's young son died. Domingo canceled performances and helped rescue survivors. For the next year, he performed concerts to raise money for the victims. He also released an album from one of these events.
Later Career and New Roles
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Since the 1990s, Domingo has continued to add new roles to his performances. He also stopped singing some of his earlier roles. He began to sing more operas by Richard Wagner. He sang as Parsifal in 1991 and Siegmund in 1992. He continued to sing these roles for almost 20 years.
In the 2000s, he sang his last performances of some of his most famous early operas. But he mostly focused on new roles. He also created new roles in modern operas. For example, he sang the main role in Tan Dun's 2006 opera The First Emperor. In 2010, he created the role of the poet Pablo Neruda in the opera Il Postino.
Big Public Appearances
Domingo became even more famous worldwide when he sang in The Three Tenors concert. This was on the night before the 1990 FIFA World Cup final in Rome. He sang with fellow tenors José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti. The concert was first planned to raise money for a leukemia foundation. They repeated the concert many times, including at the next three World Cup finals.
The recording of their first concert became the best-selling classical album ever. It sold over three million copies in the United States alone. Domingo and his friends won a Grammy Award for the album. Four years later, about 1.3 billion people watched their second World Cup performance on TV.
Domingo is a big football fan. He supports Real Madrid C.F., his hometown team. In 2002, he sang the club's new song for its 100th anniversary. He performed it live at the Bernabeu Stadium.
On August 24, 2008, Domingo sang a duet at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing. This was the second Olympics where he performed. He also sang the Olympic Hymn at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
Leading Opera Companies
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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 famous singers to perform there. In 2003, he became the General Director.
At the same time, he was also the Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Opera starting in 2000. He became its General Director in 2003. In 2010, he announced he would not continue as General Director of the Washington National Opera after 2011. He said his motto was, "When I rest, I rust," meaning he likes to stay busy. In October 2019, Domingo resigned as general director of the Los Angeles Opera.
Singing Baritone Roles
In 2007, Domingo announced he would take on a challenging baritone role. This was the main role in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. His first performance in this role was in Berlin in 2009. He then performed it many more times around the world.
After the success of Simon Boccanegra, Domingo sang other baritone roles. These included Rigoletto in Verdi's Rigoletto in 2010. In 2012, he sang the baritone role of Athanaël in Massenet's Thaïs. This was his 139th different role. He also sang Rigoletto in a live TV broadcast in Europe.
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 Verdi's Giovanna d'Arco. Later in 2014, he sang the Conte di Luna in Il trovatore. He also sang the main role of Verdi's Nabucco in 2013. In 2015, he sang the main role of Verdi's Macbeth.
On June 13, 2018, Plácido Domingo performed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening concert in Moscow. He sang with other famous opera stars.
Family and Personal Life
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Domingo's parents were Plácido Francisco Domingo Ferrer and Josefa "Pepita" Embil Echániz. Both were famous Spanish zarzuela singers. They helped him develop his musical talents early on. His father started as a violinist for opera and zarzuela orchestras. He later became a baritone singer. Domingo's mother was a well-known soprano singer.
In 1946, Domingo's parents formed a zarzuela company and toured Latin America. They later stayed in Mexico and started their own company. Domingo 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. But the marriage ended soon after. On August 1, 1962, Domingo married Marta Ornelas. She was a soprano singer he met at the conservatory. Marta was voted "Mexican Singer of the Year" in 1962. After they married, they often performed together. But Marta stopped her singing career to raise their family. They have two sons, Plácido Francisco (known as Plácido Domingo Jr.) and Alvaro Maurizio.
After living in Israel, Domingo and his family moved to New Jersey in the 1960s. He later had homes in Manhattan and Barcelona. He now has a house in his hometown of Madrid. When he is not working, he often 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 in a hospital in Madrid for a pulmonary embolism, a type of blood clot. He was released and expected to recover fully. In October 2015, he was in the hospital for a cholecystectomy, which is surgery to remove the gallbladder.
Recordings and Appearances
Music Recordings
Domingo has made over 200 recordings. Most of these are full-length operas. He has recorded almost all the main tenor roles in opera. In 1968, he released his first solo album, Recital of Italian Operatic Arias. It won a major award. He recorded his first complete opera in the studio, Il trovatore, in 1969.
He has recorded all of Puccini's tenor opera roles. He also recorded a collection of every major tenor song by Giuseppe Verdi. He has also sung in many symphonic works and conducted on some of his albums.
In 2005, he released a recording of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. A review called the recording "monumental" and praised his singing. In September 2011, at age 70, he signed a new record contract with Sony Classics.
Pop and Latin Albums
Besides his classical recordings, Domingo has released many crossover albums. These are albums that mix different music 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 English version of "Bésame Mucho" was nominated for a Grammy. He won a Grammy for his collection of Ernesto Lecuona songs, Always in My Heart (1985).
Since the early 1980s, Domingo has released several Latin albums. Two of these featured the music of Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara. He also made two albums just for Mexican music, Adoro (1982) and 100 años de Mariachi (1999). 100 años de Mariachi sold very well in the U.S. and Mexico. Domingo said the Grammy he won for 100 años de Mariachi meant the most to him.
Film and Television Appearances
Domingo has starred in several opera films. His three opera movies from the 1980s won important awards. These included Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. The soundtracks of La Traviata and Carmen won Grammy Awards. Domingo has also made many opera films for television.
He has often sung in Live from the Metropolitan Opera TV broadcasts. He has also appeared in televised performances from other opera houses. Many of his concerts and zarzuela shows have been on TV.
Domingo has also made guest appearances on television shows. He was on The Cosby Show in Season 5. In 1993, he sang at the 65th Academy Awards ceremony. He was the first Spaniard to perform at the Academy Awards. He had also presented an Oscar in 1985.
In 2008, Domingo provided the voice of a Chihuahua dog named Montezuma in Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua. He also appeared as a character's great-grandfather in the animated film The Book of Life in 2014.
Christmas in Vienna Concerts
In December 1992, Domingo sang with José Carreras and pop star Diana Ross in a televised Christmas concert. It was held in Vienna, Austria. This concert was seen by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Plácido Domingo returned to Vienna for many more Christmas in Vienna concerts. He performed with stars from both pop and classical music.
Opera Roles and Creations
Domingo has sung 151 roles in Italian, French, German, English, Spanish, and Russian. His main roles are in Italian and French operas. He has performed in more operas by Giuseppe Verdi than any other composer.
Domingo 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 performed as Schicchi in Puccini's opera 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 role in Nabucco in December 2019.
Awards and Special Honors
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Plácido Domingo has received many awards for his music and his charity work. In 1978, when he was 37, the city of Madrid placed a special 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 has received many other important honors. These include being made an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2002. In 2006, he received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. He has also received awards from Austria, France, Mexico, and Spain. In 2009, he received the first Birgit Nilsson Prize. In 2012, he was voted into Gramophone's first Hall of Fame.
In April 2014, Domingo received an honorary music degree from Berklee College of Music. In June 2018, Iberia Airlines named their first new plane after him.
Helping Others and Young Artists
Domingo has done a lot of work to help people. He has given many concerts to raise money for disaster relief, charities, and music groups. In 1986, he performed at several concerts to help victims of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. In 2007, a statue was made in his honor in Mexico City. It was made from keys donated by people.
After the earthquake, Domingo continued his charity work in Mexico and other countries. In 1997, he gave concerts to help build homes for people who lost theirs in a hurricane. In 2003, he performed to help a foundation that assists people in need. In 2007, he sang in Athens to raise money for victims of 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" to honor him.
In June 2010, Domingo became President of Europa Nostra. This group helps protect Europe's cultural heritage. He also supports efforts to help the environment. He is an ambassador for the Hear the World initiative, which raises awareness about hearing loss.
Operalia and Young Singers
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Domingo has especially tried to help young opera singers. In 1993, he started Operalia, The World Opera Competition. This is an international competition for talented young singers. The winners get chances to perform in opera companies around the world.
Many leading opera singers today have won prizes in this competition. Domingo has often performed with Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón, who won three prizes at Operalia in 1999.
Besides Operalia, Domingo has helped many young artists. He has started programs to train young opera singers in Los Angeles and Valencia, Spain. In 2016, he performed at a benefit for a youth orchestra in Los Angeles.
See also
In Spanish: Plácido Domingo para niños
- Bust of Plácido Domingo
- Category:Plácido Domingo albums
- List of best-selling Latin music artists
