Domingo, Plácido

Domingo, Plácido

Plácido Domingo.

(credit: © Liaison Agency/Stone)

(born Jan. 21, 1941, Madrid, Spain) Spanish tenor, conductor, and opera administrator. He moved to Mexico in 1949 with his parents, both of whom were singers of zarzuela (a form of Spanish light opera). He studied voice, piano, and conducting. In 1961 he made his operatic debut in Mexico City, and he made his U.S. debut soon after. After three years of singing in Tel Aviv, he sang with the New York City Opera in 1965 and became a regular soloist with the Metropolitan Opera following his debut there in 1968. He learned more than 120 roles in his career, becoming one of the most popular tenors of the second half of the 20th century. He joined the administrations of the Washington, D.C. (from 1996), and Los Angeles (from 2000) opera companies.