While most people love music because it makes them feel good, relaxed and somewhat emotional, for some it’s their life, the very air they breathe. Placido Domingo, the Spanish-born tenor has proven in many ways how much music is part of his daily life. The multiple awards and distinctions he has received are sure proof of his immense skills as a singer, conductor. For those unfamiliar with Placido Domingo, this article is meant to help you explore more facts about the popular “King of the Opera.”
Who is Placido Domingo? Biography, age
Placido Domingo’s original name is José PlácidoDomingo Embil. He is Spanish and was born on January 21, 1941 to Placido Domingo Sr. and Pepita Embil Domingo who are also great singers of the Spanish lyrical genre called zarzuela.
Unlike many singers whose passion for musicdeveloped gradually, Domingo was innate. According to his mother, they knew he would be a great singer from the age of five when they discovered he could comfortably hum the intricate music of Spanish operettas. Although he was born in the Retiro district of Madrid, Spain, he grew up in Mexico where his parents later moved. This could be considered the start of Domingo’s musical career – his parents started their own zarzuela band and Domingo had the opportunity to make his first appearance in his parents’ productions.
Not only that, Placido Domingo has honed his piano skills. He also trained his voice at the National Conservatory of Music and in 1961 made his debut as a professional tenor singer in Monterrey, Mexico, where he played the role of Alfredo, the hero of La Traviata. The same year, he made his debut in the United States where he sang the role of Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor with the American opera company called Dallas Civic Opera.
Towards the end of 1962, Domingo signed his first contract with the National Opera of Israel in Tel Aviv. What was initially a six month contract, was later extended to two and a half years with Placido Domingo singing in 280 performances of 12 different roles. In 1965, while his deal with the Tel Aviv-based company still stood, Domingo was hired to make his New York debut as Don José in Bizet’s Carmen .with the New York City Opera. Not only did Domingo appear in several operas in New York, but he debuted with numerous companies across Europe. He was with the Vienna State Opera in 1967, the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1968, the Hamburg State Opera in 1975 and many others. He has also appeared as a conductor in major opera houses around the world.
Placido Domingo’s rise to popularity, however, began in the 1980s as he gained recognition outside of the opera world. He recorded songs with great artists like John Denver with whom he recorded the song Maybe Love. With his fame as a singer, bandleader and one of the greatest tenor voices, Domingo began appearing on television where he was interviewed on numerous talk shows and news shows.
Placido Domingo has three theatrically released films to his credit. Films include Franco Zeffirelli La Traviata and Otello and Francesco Rosi Carmen. Also, her voice has featured in several films like the 2008 Disney film Beverly Hills Chihuahua; the 2012 educational cartoon Dora the Explorer, and as Skeleton Jorge in the 2014 animated film Book of Life. Surprisingly, his telecast of ToscaAuthentic settings of Rome had over a billion views from 117 countries. Domingo sang the Olympic anthem at the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and performed at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. During the Pope, Benedict XVI’s visit to the National Park and the Italian Embassy in Washington, Domingo seized this special occasion with his singing voice.
Domingo’s baritone voice
Have you ever heard his baritone voice? Domingo certainly has one of the best baritone voices you’ve ever heard. The first evidence of his baritone role was in Simon Boccanegra which took place at the Berlin State Opera on October 24. it was followed by around 30 more performances at major opera houses around the world.
Net value
After performing in numerous operas where he received praise for his “rich vocal endowment” and “effortless momentum” Domingo not only gained fame but also financial growth. He sings in all the major opera houses in the world and has recorded a record number of recordings. It is assumed that Placido Domingo made 80 operas, recorded more than 50 and totaled up to 1400 performances. For these, he won 12 Grammy Awards, including three Latin Grammys. His net worth is placed at $300 million. People With Money in 2018 ranked him as the highest paid singer in the world with an annual income which reached $75 million between April 2017 and April 2018.
Domingo’s wealth growth is not only tied to his singing talent but also his many lucrative stock investments and endorsements like the one he has with CoverGirl cosmetics. He reportedly owns several restaurants such as ‘ Fat Domingo Burger ‘ in Madrid and also owns a football team called ‘Madrid Angels’. He even launched his own brand of vodka called Pure Wonderdomingo – Spain. On top of all that, her fashion line called “Plácido Domingo Seduction”.
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Placido Domingo Family
As we already know, Placido Domingo comes from a family famous for being zarzuela singers. Her mother Pepita Embil Domingo was a Spanish Basque soprano who made her first performance at the Teatro Liceo, the most important Spanish opera located in Barcelona. His father, meanwhile, was a Spanish zarzuela baritone. He is half Catalan and half Aragonese and he started his singing career in Zaragoza, the capital of Aragon. He made his debut as a singer at the Parisiana Theater in Zaragoza with the work, Los Gavilanes. His father and mother joined a zarzuela business in 1946 and later started their own business in Mexico City, Mexico.
Speaking of Domingo’s family, he got married at the young age of 16 to Ana María Guerra Cué, his fellow piano student. They married on August 29, 1957, and a year later had their first child, a boy named José Plácido Domingo Guerra. Joe, as he is now called, is a photographer.
Domingo separated from Maria and married MartaOrnelas on August 1, 1962. Matha was an operatic soprano from Veracruz, Mexico whom he met during his conservatory days. After their marriage, the couple often performed together at the Israel National Opera and together they had two sons – Plácido Francisco (also known as Plácido Domingo Jr. and Alvaro Maurizio. Placido Domingo currently has three children all of his sons are fine with them as he is.The family currently lives in Teaneck, New Jersey, but they often spend their downtime at their vacation home in Acapulco, Mexico.