Domingo, Placido
Domingo, Placido
Hon. KBE 2002
Born Madrid 21 Jan. 1941; s of Placido Domingo and Pepita (née Embil), professional singers; m 1962, Marta Ornelas, lyric soprano; two s (and one s by former marriage)
tenor singer, conductor; General Director: Washington Opera, 1996–2011; Los Angeles Opera, 2000–19
Education
Instituto, Mexico City; Nat. Conservatory of Music, Mexico City
Career
Operatic début, Monterrey, as Alfredo in La Traviata, 1961; with opera houses at Dallas, Fort Worth, Israel, to 1965; débuts: NY City Opera, 1965; at NY Metropolitan Opera, as Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur, 1968; at La Scala, title rôle in Ernani, 1969; at Covent Garden, Cavaradossi in Tosca, 1971; has sung record 130 tenor rôles, 1961–2009; title rôle in Simon Boccanegra, State Opera, Berlin, 2009, Covent Garden, 2010. Has conducted in Vienna, Barcelona, NY and Frankfurt; début as conductor in UK, Covent Garden, 1983. Films: La Traviata, 1983; Carmen, 1984; Otello, 1986; appears on TV, makes recordings, throughout USA and Europe. Founder, Operalia competition, 1993. FRCM; FRNCM. Hon. doctorates include: RNCM, 1982; Philadelphia Coll. of Performing Arts, 1982; Complutense, Madrid, 1989; Anáhuac, Mexico, 2001; Hon. DMus Oxon, 2003. Birgit Nilsson Prize, Birgit Nilsson Foundn, 2009. Medal of City of Madrid; Orden de Isabel la Católica (Spain), 1986; Gran Cruz, Orden del Mérito Civil (Spain), 2002; foreign orders include: Chevalier, Legion of Honour (France), 2002 (Officer, 1983); US Medal of Freedom, 2002; Comdr, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France); Grande Ufficiale, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana; Grand Cross, Order of Infante Dom Henrique (Portugal); Order of Aztec Eagle (Mexico)
Publications
My First Forty Years (autobiog.), 1983
Recreations
piano, swimming, football (Real Madrid), tennis, Formula 1
