Domingo, Plácido

b. 1941, Madrid

   Tenor

   Plácido Domingo began his singing career in Mexico where his family lived from 1950, appearing in zarzuelas and then in opera in 1961. That was also the year in which he made his début in the USA as Arturo in a performance of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in Dallas. He sang with the Israeli National Opera from 1962 to 1965 and in that year made his New York début as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madam Butterfly at the City Opera. Three years later he appeared for the first time at the Metropolitan as Maurizio in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, the next year at La Scala, Milan, in the title role of Verdi's Ernani and two years after that at Covent Garden as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca. During his career he has mastered a very wide-ranging repertory, has conducted operas—his first being a production of Verdi's Attila in Barcelona in 1973—has made recordings and played Verdi's Otello, a role for which he became especially noted, in the Zeffirelli film, and has appeared before huge audiences as one of the "Three Tenors" performing in concert. His autobiography, My First Forty Years, was published in New York in 1983.

   Further reading

   - Snowman, D. (1985) The World of Plácido Domingo, New York: McGraw-Hill.

   EAMONN RODGERS