100 News items related to: "Placido Domingo"
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Clasart Classic Extends Partnership with New York's Metropolitan Opera
New York's Metropolitan Opera and Clasart Classic have signed an exclusive agreement for the international distribution rights for the Met's opera catalogue outside of the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Japan and the U.K.
The Met's program catalogue contains the world's most extensive collection of opera productions recorded in HD. In addition to HD programs, the catalogue also includes about 100 operas videotaped over the last 30 years, featuring artists such as Roberto Alagna, Cecilia Bartoli, Piotr Beczala, Joseph Calleja, Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming and Juan Diego Florez.
— Read more at WorldScreen.com [2010-01-27]

San Francisco Opera's 2010-11 season features complete 'Ring' Cycle, big stars
Opera stars Placido Domingo, Karita Mattila and Danielle de Niese will appear in the San Francisco Opera's 2010-11 season, which was formally announced today. The company also said it will mount the complete "Ring" Cycle in a new production directed by Francesca Zambello.
The company, which performs at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, will stage 10 productions in the upcoming season, including the four operas that compose Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung."
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2010-01-22]

Placido Domingo to sing at San Francisco Opera
Superstar tenor Placido Domingo will return to the San Francisco Opera next season for the first time since 1994, singing the title role in the company premiere of Franco Alfano's "Cyrano de Bergerac."
The company's 2010-11 season, announced Tuesday, will also include new productions of Massenet's "Werther," starring tenor Ramon Vargas, and Janacek's "Makropulos Case," with soprano Karita Mattila singing the role of Emilia Marty for the first time. It concludes in June and July with three complete cycles of Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung," in the new American-themed production of director Francesca Zambello, conducted by former Music Director Donald Runnicles.
— Read more at sfgate.com [2010-01-21]

For Verdi, Masquerading as a Baritone
In 1959, when he was 18, Placido Domingo auditioned for the National Opera in Mexico City as a baritone. The jury was impressed but told Mr. Domingo that he was really a tenor. Two years later he sang his first lead tenor role, Alfredo in Verdi's "Traviata" in Monterrey. And so began one of the great tenor careers in opera history.
— Read more at NYTimes.com [2010-01-21]

Domingo Makes History at Met Singing Baritone Role
Sporting a trim white beard, his graying hair left long, Placido Domingo looks courtly even without his new Renaissance robes.
This Monday, the high-energy tenor enjoys his third debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
— Read more at Bloomberg.com [2010-01-18]

Where's the Opera Chief? Look Onstage, or in the Pit
Placido Domingo, conductor, steps into the pit of the Metropolitan Opera on Thursday evening for a performance of Verdi's "Stiffelio." Four days later Placido Domingo, singer, steps onto the Met stage to open a run of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra."
And so it goes. After several weeks of grueling rehearsals, Mr. Domingo alternates conducting and singing in a month of performances. Hurricane Placido is blowing through town, a display of energy that is astonishing, yet by now routine, for a man who turns 69 on Jan. 21.
— Read more at Daniel J. Wakin - NYTimes.com [2010-01-15]

A Wife's Betrayal, a Husband's Internal Seething
In 1993 the Metropolitan Opera presented its first production of Verdi's neglected opera "Stiffelio" as a vehicle for Placido Domingo. Without that star tenor in the demanding title role, and without James Levine conducting, the Met would not have taken a risk on the work, which had a dismal reception at its 1850 premiere in Trieste, Italy.
— Read more at NYTimes.com [2010-01-14]

Even with Placido Domingo, Washington National Opera scales back season
The Washington National Opera's season announcement Tuesday made one thing clear: Recession is tough. The company's 2010-11 season makes the best of an ongoing financial crisis that reduced it to just five operas. And those operas, it seems, don't even represent the artistic vision of the WNO's director, Placido Domingo.
— Read more at Anne Midgette - washingtonpost.com [2010-01-14]

Juan Diego Florez, The Philadelphia Orchestra, And Sting: Eugene Ormandy's Ghost Is Very, Very Angry
It's hard to argue that Juan Diego Florez is not the greatest tenore di grazia, it's either him or Tito Schipa, and even Placido Domingo himself anointed JDF as "el mas grande tenor ligero de la historia";...
— Read more at Opera Chic [2010-01-06]

Opera star Placido Domingo does Mexico City concert
Star tenor Placido Domingo regaled a crowd in frigid Mexico City with a weekend Christmas concert under the gilded iconic El Angel statue in a central part of the city.
Tens of thousands of people, by the city's count, crowded into the Angel plaza and along the central Paseo de la Reforma boulevard for half a mile to hear the free concert Saturday night.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2009-12-23]

Domingo's other opera company gets financial rescue from Los Angeles County
A week or so after Washington National Opera announced staff cuts and a reduction in productions next season to help keep the finances in order, the Los Angeles Opera, which also has superstar tenor Placido Domingo as general director, went with cup in hand to the local government. The Los Angeles County supervisors approved a $14 million loan loan Tuesday. The main reason for the bailout is said to be the cost of the LA Opera's "Ring" Cycle, which will be presented in the spring.
— Read more at Tim Smith - The Baltimore Sun [2009-12-10]

The Lakers' Pau Gasol gets an opera assist from Placido Domingo
Last week, on one of his rare evenings not spent in makeup sweating under a spotlight, Placido Domingo watched from a luxury box as the resurgent L.A. Lakers dusted off the New York Knicks 100-90 at Staples Center. Down on the floor, Domingo's friend and fellow Spaniard, the power forward and center Pau Gasol, who was back in action after missing the Lakers' first 11 games with a pulled hamstring, helped lift the home team with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
— Read more at latimes.com [2009-12-03]

Cutbacks, reshuffling expected at Washington National Opera
Generally reliable sources report a shakeup at Washington National Opera. From what I can gather, it looks like the financial picture is cloudy enough to necessitate a reduction in the number of productions next season (for the second year in a row), a reduction in staff, and a reshuffling of management.
Although Mark Weinstein has been credited with strengthening WNO's financial picture since becoming executive direction in Feb. 2008 (he streamlined the staff a few months into the job and advocated postponing the company's planned "Ring" Cycle because of insufficient funding), he will apparently be moved out of that job (not necessarily out of the company). No sign of any changes to Placido Domingo's role as general director.
— Read more at Tim Smith - The Baltimore Sun [2009-12-01]

Viewpoint: Songs of Tribute
Fifty years ago this month, Birgit Nilsson's sensational Metropolitan Opera debut as Isolde was front-page news in both The New York Times and The New York Herald Tribune. Nilsson, who died on Christmas Day in 2005, is still making headlines: a foundation that the soprano started has resources sufficient to institute the Birgit Nilsson Prize, an honor which carries with it an award of $1 million. The first winner, Placido Domingo, received the honor in mid-October; "Million Dollar Legacy," an article by Brooks Peters explains the genesis of the prize and the Birgit Nilsson Foundation's plans for the future.
— Read more at Opera News [2009-11-25]

Opera broadcasts from La Scala, Barcelona returning to local cinemas
Now that the Metropolitan Opera no longer has the monopoly on opera broadcasts to cinemas, fans can look forward to a greater variety of productions from outside the Peter Gelb Ministry of Music.
Starting Dec. 7, Laemmle Theaters in Southern California will screen broadcasts of opera productions from Milan's La Scala and Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu. The season of programs, which runs through July 1 and includes six productions, features such vocal luminaries as Placido Domingo, Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann, Ben Heppner and Erwin Schrott.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2009-11-23]

REVIEW: A shaky start for 'Otello'
Throughout its 87-year history, the San Francisco Opera has presented Verdi's "Otello" with some of the title role's all-time great interpreters, including Lauritz Melchior (the company's first Otello, in 1934), and Placido Domingo, whose legendary 1983 appearance saw the tenor, called as a last-minute replacement, catching an afternoon flight from New York to San Francisco and finally arriving to start the performance at 10 p.m.
— Read more at Georgia Rowe - San Jose Mercury News [2009-11-13]

REVIEW: S.F. Opera adds another credible 'Otello' to the repertoire
Throughout its 87-year history, the San Francisco Opera has presented Verdi's "Otello" with some of the title role's all-time great interpreters. They included Lauritz Melchior (the company's first Otello, in 1934) and Placido Domingo, whose legendary 1983 appearance had the tenor, called as a last-minute replacement, catching an afternoon flight from New York and finally arriving to start the performance at 10 p.m.
— Read more at Inside Bay Area [2009-11-11]

"Star Search": A Quest For New Voices at New York City Opera
The good news: New York City Opera is back onstage, after a year of renovation and reorganization under new leadership. The equally good news is that the company is celebrating a robust return to its roots as an enterprise known for and dedicated to nurturing extraordinary young talent.
The names of singers who rose from the City Opera roster to become international stars form a long, long list. Among the best-known of these are the company's iconic Beverly Sills, as well Jose Carreras, Phyllis Curtin, David Daniels, Mark Delavan, Joyce DiDonato, Placido Domingo, Lauren Flanigan, Elizabeth Futral, Jerry Hadley, Catherine Malfitano, Bejun Mehta, Sherrill Milnes, Samuel Ramey, Norman Treigle, Tatiana Troyanos, and Carol Vaness, to name just a few. And it speaks volumes that several of these artists will return to perform in American Voices, City Opera's opening gala concert, on Nov. 5.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2009-11-05]

Washington National Opera Offers Host of "Opera Week" Activities
[Washington National Opera has unveiled its complete schedule of events and activities - many of them free - for National Opera Week, kicking off Nov. 13.]
"National Opera Week is a wonderful opportunity to spotlight the many different ways that WNO serves the city of Washington, D.C.," stated WNO General Director Placido Domingo. "Opera is so much more than the grand productions performed on stage. Yes, it is entertainment and a beautiful synthesis of many art forms; but at WNO, opera is also an enrichment tool for our community and an educational medium for our young people.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2009-11-03]

Placido Domingo accepts $1M Swedish music prize
Spanish tenor Placido Domingo on Tuesday received the first ever $1 million dollar Birgit Nilsson award at a formal award ceremony in Stockholm.
Domingo, who won the prize for his "unrivaled" contributions to the world of opera, accepted the award from King Carl XVI Gustaf at the Royal Swedish Opera.
— Read more at The Associated Press [2009-10-15]

Grand Opera starts 8th season
Parvan Bakardiev thinks building seasons for Wichita Grand Opera is getting easier.
After all, the company he founded with his wife, Margaret Ann Pent, in 2000 has a track record of getting things done - concerts by superstars Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, outdoor opera at Bradley Fair, and appearances by top singers such as Samuel Ramey, Joyce DiDonato and Marcello Giordani.
— Read more at Wichita Eagle [2009-10-06]

Riding to the rescue of L.A. Opera's 'L'Elisir'
It was, says Placido Domingo, "truly a dream cast." For this season's opener, Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore" (The Elixir of Love), Los Angeles Opera had signed Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon and American baritone Nathan Gunn -- both marquee names -- as well as the young Georgian soprano Nino Machaidze. To top it off, the great Italian bass Ruggero Raimondi was going to mark his 45th year on the stage with his first appearance in L.A.
— Read more at latimes.com [2009-09-11]

Domingo tops Villaraigosa, Kobe as L.A.'s preferred lunch date
Which would you rather discuss over lunch -- the Lakers, the baffling minutiae of the Los Angeles city budget, or opening night at the opera?
According to the results of an online poll conducted by the Downtown News, when given the choice among four prominent downtowners -- including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Laker Kobe Bryant -- 66% of those responding to the poll would most like to have lunch with Los Angeles Opera's general manager and superstar tenor Placido Domingo. He'd have a lot to talk about right now: The L.A. Opera's 2009-10 season launches Sept. 12 at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with Donizetti's "The Elixir of Love" and the company will stage its first Ring Cycle later this season.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2009-09-01]

REVIEW: Placido Domingo and Yo-Yo Ma together for the first time
Yo-Yo Ma and Placido Domingo are irrepressible collaborating animals. A list of artists in many disciplines and from the vast array of cultures with whom they have worked could probably fill a phone book for a mid-size town in Iowa.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2009-08-28]

Domingo makes Hollywood Bowl conducting debut
Placido Domingo - is there anything he can't do? Tuesday night the Spanish super-tenor/baritone, 68, made his conducting debut at the Hollywood Bowl, which was also his debut conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Yo-Yo Ma was on hand too and it was the first time the two musicians had worked together. The cozy stadium was sold out, and did I mention it was a Tuesday?
— Read more at Timothy Mangan - OCRegister.com [2009-08-27]

Met Opera releases 'Cav/Pag' DVD starring Placido Domingo
Opera buffs in L.A. won't get to see Placido Domingo perform on stage until late November, when the Los Angeles Opera stages the company premiere of Handel's "Tamerlano."
Until then, local Domingo fans can sate their cravings with a new DVD of Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" and Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" (often abbreviated "Cav/Pag"), which will be released Sunday, Aug. 16. The Franco Zeffirelli productions were filmed live in 1978 at New York's Metropolitan Opera, where they were conducted by James Levine.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2009-08-12]

Russians take top prizes at Domingo's Operalia contest
The annual Operalia competition is one of the most cherished personal projects of Placido Domingo, who has seemingly built an entire side career out of seeking and championing young, aspiring opera stars.
Held this year in Hungary, Operalia concluded Saturday with the top prizes going to Russian singers soprano Julia Novikova and tenor Alexey Kudrya.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2009-08-07]

Placido Domingo, five operas at Verona Festival
Verona will open its 87th Opera Festival on Friday, a summer-long event with five operas and a special evening for tenor Placido Domingo, celebrating 40 years since his debut in the northern Italian town's arena.
The summer season begins with George Bizet's "Carmen," which has already been represented 189 times in 20 different editions in the oval Roman amphitheatre, built in 30 A.D.
— Read more at Reuters [2009-06-19]

Domingo's Virtuoso Powers Lure Crowds to Verona Festival Gala
Placido Domingo, one of the greatest tenors of his generation, is the star attraction at Verona's 87th Opera Festival, which also features revivals of "Carmen," "Aida" and "Turandot."
The Spanish maestro, who is marking 40 years since his first appearance at the huge open-air Roman amphitheater, will perform the last acts of Bizet's "Carmen," Verdi's "Otello" and Alfano's "Cyrano de Bergerac" at a July 24 gala, the season's hottest ticket.
— Read more at Bloomberg.com [2009-06-16]

Domingo to conduct 'Turandot' at Lyric
The first time Placido Domingo stood on the stage of Baltimore's Lyric Opera House, he sang. When he returns on Tuesday, after 43 years, he won't open his mouth.
Instead, the eminent Spanish-born singer, who has performed at all of the world's leading opera houses and who, with Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras, rocked the global market in 1990 as part of the storied Three Tenors phenomenon, will be on the podium. He will conduct Puccini's Turandot with soloists, orchestra and chorus of Washington National Opera.
— Read more at baltimoresun.com [2009-06-02]

A Domingo stole our ladies
THREE of Australia's rising opera stars have beaten hundreds to sing for Placido Domingo in one of the world's most prestigious opera competitions.
Valda Wilson, Paul O'Neill and Anita Watson will travel to Hungary in July to compete in Operalia, an event founded by Domingo to recognise the best young singers.
— Read more at brisbanetimes.com.au [2009-06-01]

DCist Goes to the Opera: Turandot
After a spring season of more challenging operas - a vicious Peter Grimes and a controversial, Americanized Siegfried - Washington National Opera brought home the bacon on Saturday night, opening its final production, Puccini's Turandot. The company presented this opera last time only in 2001 (with Alessandra Marc in the title role), and the Kirov Opera brought its road staging to the Kennedy Center in 2006. To answer the natural question - do we really need to see Turandot again so soon? - the company brought the colorful, somewhat slapstick, but still disturbingly savage production created by Andrei Serban for Covent Garden 25 years ago (with none other than Placido Domingo as Calaf) to Washington. Since most of the singing was quite good and the orchestra sounded in top form, this is indeed a production worth seeing.
— Read more at DCist.com [2009-05-21]

Royal opera recruits Domingo to ride out recession
Britain's Royal Opera House has recruited tenor Placido Domingo to help ride out the recession next season with a historic double in which he sings tenor in Handel's "Tamerlano" and baritone in Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra."
The Spanish singer marks his 26th role with the opera house when he appears in Tamerlano in March, 2010, and debuts as a baritone at the venue in Simon Boccanegra three months later.
— Read more at Reuters [2009-04-24]

The Royal Opera House new season unveiled
[A second outing for Nicholas Hytner's Don Carlo, a new production of Tristan und Isolde, and a double dose of Placido Domingo are among the offerings]
This morning it was up with the lark (ish) for the Royal Opera and Ballet annual briefing in Covent Garden. So what looks particularly exciting as the next season is unveiled?
— Read more at guardian.co.uk [2009-04-23]

Placido Domingo to make British debut as baritone at Royal Opera House
Two appearances from one of the most celebrated singers in the world will crown a recession-beating Royal Opera House season next year.
Plácido Domingo will sing Bajazet in Handel's Tamerlano, and will make his British debut as a baritone in the title role of Simon Boccanegra.
— Read more at guardian.co.uk [2009-04-23]

Beam me up, Wotan
I caught Sunday's matinee of "Die Walküre" at the Chandler. First, an update: The fabled "Lone Boo-er" of opening night was nowhere to be heard, presumably taking the performance off for Easter.
As a veteran of four complete "Ring" cycles and a couple of extra stray performances of "Die Walküre," I went not just to bask in the pleasures of the always-estimable James Conlon in the pit and impresario Plácido Domingo's still-robust rendering of Siegmund.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2009-04-14]

Noted director, UM students plan to do Jane Austen proud
Two months ago, Mark Lamos was in New York directing Maria Guleghina and Placido Domingo in Adriana Lecouvreur at the Metropolitan Opera. Two weeks ago, you could find him commanding attention in a University of Miami rehearsal space, working with students to bring the world of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to life.
— Read more at MiamiHerald.com [2009-04-07]

Cura follows Alagna in both 'Cav' and 'Pag' at Met
Double duty in Leoncavallo's "Cavalleria Rusticana" and Mascagni's "Pagliacci" has become common at the Metropolitan Opera.
Before this year, the only tenors to sing both "Cav" and "Pag" leads at the same Met performance were Kurt Baum, Placido Domingo, Frederick Jagel, Salvatore Licitra, Ermanno Mauro and Thomas Salignac. Now both Roberto Alagna and Jose Cura have performed the verismo doubleheader in the very same month.
— Read more at The Sun News [2009-04-03]

Splendour and abundance
There are galas and there are galas. This was no ordinary garden-variety gala. This was the mighty Met celebrating its 125th birthday and, at the same time, the 40th anniversary of its resident tenorissimo, Plácido Domingo.
Always attuned to conspicuous cultural consumption, New York turned out in force on Sunday, happy-talky patrons dressed to the gills. The top ticket cost $3,500, which covered an early cocktail party as well as a late dinner.
— Read more at FT.com [2009-03-17]

Placido Domingo Weeps, Stabs at $6.3 Million Met Gala
Star power and visual razzle dazzle made for an entertaining evening at the Metropolitan Opera last night as the company celebrated its 125th anniversary with a sold out gala that raised $6.3 million.
— Read more at Bloomberg.com [2009-03-17]

Stars turn out for NY opera gala
Placido Domingo was joined on stage by a host of world class singers for a gala to mark the Metropolitan Opera's 125th anniversary.
The four-hour performance doubled up as a celebration of Domingo's 40th year performing with the company.
— Read more at BBC NEWS [2009-03-17]

Met Opera gala celebrates 125 years
Kanye West, Mary Kate Olsen, Julianna Margulies and Brooke Shields were all in the house as the Metropolitan Opera threw itself a gala like no other -- a triple celebration that honored the company's 125-year history, previewed its current stars in upcoming roles, and found time to pay tribute to Placido Domingo's 40 years at the house.
— Read more at Newsday.com [2009-03-17]

45 Roles, 628 Performances. Why Stop?
Plácido Domingo cannot see himself retiring the way many opera stars do: by announcing a farewell tour and going from company to company, accepting tributes. "Rather," he said, reflecting on his astonishingly long career during an interview in the tiny press office at the Metropolitan Opera, "I think it will be one evening, after a performance, to say, 'That's it.'"
— Read more at NYTimes.com [2009-03-13]

NY Met manager says economy casts pall over opera
The economy has cast a pall over U.S. opera companies, but the head of New York's Metropolitan Opera said on Tuesday the show will go on in a new season with stars such as Placido Domingo and Renee Fleming.
General Manager Peter Gelb has already cut senior and administrative staff salaries by 10 percent and canceled three planned revivals of operas to reduce costs in the face of falling ticket sales and a drastically reduced endowment.
— Read more at Reuters [2009-02-12]

Serving Two Cities, Staying True to Each
ANY arts institution reflects its leader, but it had better reflect local culture too, as the tenor Plácido Domingo, the general director of both the Washington National Opera and the Los Angeles Opera, is well aware. "By nature these are not twin companies," Mr. Domingo said in December at the Metropolitan Opera, where he is celebrating his 40th season as a tenor at the top of the roster. "Each city has its own personality."
— Read more at NYTimes.com [2009-02-10]

Placido Domingo tries to turn back clock at Met
When the late Luciano Pavarotti tried to relive his days of youthful glory at the Metropolitan Opera by reprising the role that made him famous, the result was an embarrassment that tarnished his reputation.
No such calamity befell his one-time tenor rival Plácido Domingo when on Friday night at age 68 he took on the role of his house debut back in 1968 ? Maurizio, the dashing military man who fuels a fatal love triangle in Francesco Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur."
— Read more at nydailynews.com [2009-02-09]

Guleghina, Domingo, Borodina Star In Adriana Lecouvreur 2/6
Maria Guleghina and Plácido Domingo star in Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, which opens at the Metropolitan Opera on February 6 with Domingo returning to sing the role of his Met debut 40 years ago. Guleghina sings Adriana, the famous actress in love with the military hero Maurizio, sung by Domingo.
— Read more at broadwayworld.com [2009-02-02]

Los Angeles Opera and Washington National Opera announce 2009-10 seasons
With Plàcido Domingo serving as General Director, Washington and Los Angeles have become inspiring stages for operatic performances along the years.
Their respective 2009-10 seasons include interesting artistic projects, such as a new production of Thomas' Hamlet with Diana Damrau, Samuel Ramey and Carlos Alvarez; and the USA premiere of Franz Schreker's The Stigmatized (LA Opera), this latter described by the New Yorker as a work that 'vacillates between melodies of Mediterranean grace and textures of otherworldy complexity'.
— Read more at MusicalCriticism.com [2009-01-28]

LA Opera postpones 'Il Postino' world premiere
The Los Angeles Opera has postponed the world premiere of Daniel Catan's "Il Postino."
The Spanish-language opera, based on the 1994 movie, was to have starred Placido Domingo. The project, announced in July 2005, had been scheduled to open the 2009-10 season.
— Read more at KWQC-TV6 [2009-01-20]

The Met's 125th anniversary gala will look to the past and future
Sopranos Natalie Dessay, Renee Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu and Deborah Voigt are among the stars who will perform at the Metropolitan Opera's 125th anniversary gala on March 15.Tenors Placido Domingo, Juan Diego Florez, Marcello Giordani and Ben Heppner also will perform on a night that also celebrates the 40th anniversary season of Domingo's Met debut, the company said Tuesday.
— Read more at The Canadian Press [2008-12-23]

Washington National Opera's 'Petite Messe Solennelle' Is Something of a Mess
About two-thirds of the way through Rossini's "Petite Messe Solennelle," there is a "Preludio religioso" that stops the action with a long, gentle meditation for solo organ. Onstage Friday night at the Kennedy Center Opera House, where the Washington National Opera performed the work, it seemed a long hiatus indeed: Plácido Domingo was not conducting; Andrea Bocelli and the other soloists were not singing; and the whole chorus and orchestra sat in suspended animation while this simple little tune wafted over them.
— Read more at washingtonpost.com [2008-11-26]

Metropolitan Opera: Immortal Immortalized
Plácido Domingo is a phenomenon. As singer, conductor, and arts administrator, he has stretched the boundaries of what an artist can accomplish, on stage and behind the scenes. And now he has even been immortalized on canvas. Commissioned by the Met, acclaimed painter Julian Schnabel has created a portrait of Domingo that was unveiled recently as part of an onstage celebration honoring the tenor on the occasion of his 40th anniversary with the company. The painting is now on display on the Grand Tier level of the opera house.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2008-11-25]

'Lucrezia' gets her due
Acclaimed soprano Renee Fleming made her long-awaited Washington National Opera debut Saturday in the company's compelling new production of Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia" at the Kennedy Center Opera House.
The wonderfully traditional yet slightly post-punk sets, design and costuming were created by stage director John Pascoe, and the WNO orchestra was helmed with sensitivity and precision by the company's general director, Placido Domingo.
— Read more at Washington Times [2008-11-06]

Stars come out to honor Pavarotti at Petra
Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo and other stars of popular and classical music honored late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti at a star-studded concert in Jordan over the weekend.
— Read more at Reuters [2008-10-15]

Tenors honour Pavarotti with his dream concert
As one of the Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti helped to bring opera to the masses. Now, the two surviving members of the musical trio are to fulfil the late maestro of Modena's ambition to perform at one of the world's great historical sites.
Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras will take to the stage next weekend in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra for a £5,000ahead charity concert celebrating Pavarotti's life.
— Read more at Times Online [2008-10-07]

Met Celebrates 40 Years of Placido Domingo
Woody Allen, Miss Piggy and a trio of cross-dressing divas were among those who appeared at a tribute to Plácido Domingo at the Metropolitan Opera on Sunday for the 40th anniversary of Mr. Domingo's Met debut, The Associated Press reported.
— Read more at NYTimes.com [2008-10-01]

The Three Tenors return - in drag for Domingo
Placido Domingo and Woody Allen didn't exactly sing a duet on the stage of the Met.
But the two did dine together under the Metropolitan Opera spotlights Sunday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the tenor's debut here. Allen is fresh from making his own successful debut as an opera director at the Los Angeles Opera, where Domingo is general director.
— Read more at The Associated Press [2008-09-30]

Met to offer online service for opera lovers
Legendary performances at the Metropolitan Opera of "La Boheme" with Luciano Pavarotti and "Otello" with Placido Domingo will soon be available over the Internet for the first time.
— Read more at The Associated Press [2008-09-25]

Renee-sance at the Met
Last night's Fleming fest at the Metropolitan Opera was fun, weird, enchanting, annoying, even ravishing. Broadcast live in HD to 600 theaters in North and South America, the company's 125th opening night starred Renee Fleming in three acts from three operas -- the first opening night in Met history devoted to a single soprano. Only Placido Domingo, we were told, enjoyed a similar honor.
— Read more at The Oregonian [2008-09-24]

The Song of the Brundlefly
Given its location, it makes sense for Los Angeles Opera, of all companies, to recruit creative talents from the film industry to try their hands at energizing opera. This has certainly been a priority for Plácido Domingo as the company's general director.
The latest manifestation of that effort came on Sunday afternoon, when Los Angeles Opera presented the American premiere of "The Fly" by the Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore, best known for his scores for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. With a libretto by the playwright David Henry Hwang, the opera is based on the director David Cronenberg's 1986 film, for which Mr. Shore wrote the music. Mr. Cronenberg, working closely with Mr. Shore, directed this opera, a co-production with the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where the work had its world premiere in July.
— Read more at NYTimes.com [2008-09-12]

High notes for Woody Allen's opera debut
Woody Allen, the New York movie director best known for his comedies, earned high praise Monday from music critics after his debut at the weekend as the director of a classical opera.
Allen, 73, had been wooed by famed tenor Placido Domingo, the general manager of the Los Angeles opera, to direct the romantic comedy "Gianni Schicchi," the third piece in Giacomo Puccini's "Trittico" of one-act operas.
— Read more at Yahoo! News [2008-09-11]

Filmmaker Woody Allen helps deliver great comic Puccini
PATIENT, persistent Plácido Domingo long ago decided that he wanted Woody Allen for Los Angeles Opera. The company came up with any number of cockamamie proposals -- such as commissioning Allen to write the libretto for a new opera by John Williams, commissioning someone else to write an opera based on an Allen short story or having the filmmaker direct this or that opera -- that went nowhere.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2008-09-10]

Placido Domingo always buzzing with activity
In his New York City apartment, Placido Domingo keeps a small embroidered pillow that proclaims: "If I rest I rust." It certainly is the right motto for the globe-trotting tenor's nonstop lifestyle.
One moment Domingo was in Beijing performing before thousands at the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Seemingly the next, even before the torch had time to cool, he was onstage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to discuss the opening of Los Angeles Opera's 23rd season.
— Read more at Press-Telegram [2008-09-05]

The Fly Takes Wing at L.A. Opera
"The Fly is an opera for the 21st century," says composer Howard Shore, referring to his newest work, which has its American premiere Sept. 7 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as part of LA Opera's 2008-2009 season.
Shore spoke from Paris, where LA Opera's partner, Theatre du Chatelet, debuted the two-hour work on July 2. He is now in Los Angeles, working alongside conductor Placido Domingo and director David Cronenberg to rehearse The Fly for its six performances
— Read more at filmmusicsociety.org [2008-09-04]

Opera from the ashes
FORTY-THREE YEARS ago, an opera company was born in Westfield, N.J. Dedicated to grand opera, the group quickly became designated the official New Jersey opera company by the state legislature.
For four decades, Alfredo Silipigni led the New Jersey State Opera, winning international accolades and speeding the careers of young stars, including Placido Domingo.
— Read more at Asbury Park Press [2008-09-01]

Sci-fi movie The Fly gets opera treatment
David Cronenberg's sci-fi terror movie "The Fly" has taken on a new life in the Canadian director's first foray into the world of opera.
"The Fly", described as a classical re-imagining of the 1986 movie about an eccentric scientist who turns into a massive fly, will open the new season at Los Angeles Opera in September with LA Opera director Placido Domingo conducting the orchestra.
— Read more at Reuters [2008-08-27]

Ottawa baritone lands work in opera version of The Fly
The 1986 horror film The Fly is now an opera, and while Paris critics swatted it flat at its premiere last month, the young Ottawa-area baritone who landed work in the production says it could be a boost to his career.
For one thing, Luc Lalonde has been busy working with singer Placido Domingo, who is conducting the production.
— Read more at canada.com [2008-08-08]

The Fly lands on Paris stage as a Cronenberg opera
The illustrious Théâtre du Châtelet has witnessed an array of artistic endeavours in its time - it is where Stravinsky unveiled Pétrouchka to the world, and Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau's Parade received its world premiere. Classical drama, light operetta, Russian ballet and even contemporary music have all played their part on its stage.
Body horror, however, has not. Until now. Last night an eclectic crowd of thousands gathered for a bizarre spectacle: the world premiere of David Cronenberg's operatic remake of The Fly. With a score written by Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore, an orchestra conducted by tenor Plácido Domingo, and Cronenberg himself directing, La Mouche is the brainchild of three creative greats.
— Read more at guardian.co.uk [2008-07-04]

An opera to make you afraid, very afraid
Be afraid, be very afraid: David Cronenberg's 1986 horror flick, "The Fly," has undergone a bizarre metamorphosis. It's now an opera.
The new incarnation, with tenor Placido Domingo conducting a score by Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore ("The Lord of the Rings"), isn't as gory as the movie. Audiences will be spared close-ups of the title character's fingernails falling off as he makes the transition from mild-mannered scientist to giant insect.
— Read more at CNN.com [2008-07-03]

Edgar Vincent, 90, Opera Stars' Publicist, Dies
Edgar Vincent, a veteran press representative for a starry roster of opera singers dating to Ezio Pinza, notably as the publicity agent and a close adviser to Plácido Domingo for more than 25 years, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 90.
He died of a blood clot while recuperating from a partial hip replacement at Lenox Hill Hospital, said Patrick Farrell, his longtime professional partner in the management company Vincent & Farrell Associates.
— Read more at NYTimes.com [2008-07-02]

Edgar Vincent; Opera Stars' PR Man
Edgar Vincent, the longtime press representative and right-hand man to Placido Domingo and a host of other opera stars, died June 26 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. He was 90 years old.
A resident of New York, he died of a blood clot while recovering from hip-replacement surgery, said his professional partner, Patrick Farrell.
— Read more at washingtonpost.com [2008-07-01]

Keri-Lynn Wilson conducts LA Opera
WHEN Los Angeles Opera opens its final offering of the season, Puccini's seldom-heard "La Rondine," tonight at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the offstage creative team will represent a curious coincidence. The director of the production, Marta Domingo, is married to the company's general director, Plácido Domingo. And giving the downbeat in the pit will be conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, whose husband just happens to be Peter Gelb, general manager of New York's Metropolitan Opera.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2008-06-09]

Capital Expenditures
Seats were sold out for the first-ever Washington National Opera staging of "Tamerlano" due to the participation of general director Plácido Domingo, whose every appearance here, onstage or in the pit, produces standing ovations. The tireless Domingo has given the company greater international recognition and certainly raised the casting bar, but until the quality of conductors and directors consistently employed undergoes similar improvement, WNO will remain a sub- "Top Five" company, albeit one capable of very fine performances.
— Read more at GayCityNews [2008-06-06]

Jones opens opera series with encore
Isola Jones has sung with the Metropolitan Opera and has been paired with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. So why is the mezzo-soprano so eager to come back to the Acorn Theater in Three Oaks?
"Because Bob asked me to," she says by telephone from her home in Phoenix.
Bob, in this case, is Rolling Prairie resident Robert Swan, whose "Opera at the Acorn" series opens its second season Saturday with Jones performing a new program of mostly Viennese classics.
— Read more at South Bend Tribune [2008-05-23]

Amid the Baroque and the Bluster, Love Blossoms
You don't usually think of Plácido Domingo as a singer with a passion for Baroque opera, but having left his mark on virtually everything else in the repertory, he is giving it a look. In November he sang Oreste in Gluck's "Iphigénie en Tauride" at the Met. Now he has taken up Bajazet, the central tenor role in Handel's "Tamerlano." After a run at the Teatro Real in Madrid this season, he sang his first American Bajazet on Wednesday evening in a new Washington National Opera production of "Tamerlano" at the Kennedy Center.
— Read more at New York Times [2008-05-02]

A Rising Star in L.A. Opera's Young Artist Program
When she was born, Angel Joy Blue's father, Sylvester Blue, held her up and noticed that she had a big upper chest and a good pair of lungs. "This is the next Leontyne Price," he said, or at least that's what family lore says he said.
Today she is 24, is luminously beautiful and has already sung the role of Musetta in "La Bohème" for the Los Angeles Opera under the baton of Plácido Domingo. Sadly, Sylvester passed away in 2006 and missed his daughter's debut.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2008-04-08]

LA Opera sings Domingo's praises
The 40th anniversary of Placido Domingo's debut on the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage will be celebrated at an L.A. Opera gala April 18.
— Read more at Variety [2008-03-25]

South African tenor Johan Botha triumphs as Verdi's 'Otello' at Metropolitan Opera
It's no small task for a tenor to take on a role that Placido Domingo dominated for decades - Verdi's Otello.
But the South African tenor Johan Botha triumphed Monday at the Metropolitan Opera, where Domingo sang 40 performances of the Shakespearean tragedy that Verdi turned into towering musical drama.
— Read more at International Herald Tribune [2008-02-14]

Both Sides Now
This month, soprano Renée Fleming stars onstage and backstage for the Metropolitan Opera. Starting February 11 she will appear as Desdemona in Otello. Fleming also serves as host of the Met's Live in HD series.
"I'm no Plácido Domingo," Renée Fleming said modestly, comparing the 51 roles in her repertoire to Domingo's 125. She and the tenor were in the midst of a backstage chat shown live to audiences worldwide as part of the Met's first Live in High Definition transmission of the season.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2008-02-07]

Young tenor sings the praises of opera as 'best-kept secret' of entertainment
Growing up, Joseph Kaiser dreamed of playing for the Montreal Canadiens, but his talent lay in opera singing.
As singing giants like Placido Domingo tout him as one to watch, the Canadian tenor is just as keen to perform for the masses - insisting opera is not only for the elite.
— Read more at canada.com [2008-01-03]

Rare Gluck opera given marvelous rebirth at Met
Considering that it is this country's premier opera house, the Metropolitan sure has some gaps in its repertoire. Its current production of Gluck's 18th century opera "Iphigenie en Tauride" is, incredibly, its first appearance in about 90 years. Considering the high quality of this staging by Stephen Wadsworth featuring Susan Graham and Placido Domingo, that lengthy a gap is unlikely to recur.
— Read more at Yahoo! News [2007-12-21]

Metropolitan Opera's First Simulcast of 2007-08 Breaks Attendance Records
The Metropolitan Opera's "Live in High Definition" series of live satellite transmissions into movie theaters achieved record-breaking attendance in its first weekend of the new 2007-08 season.
The first transmission, on Saturday, December 15 - Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, starring Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, conducted by Plácido Domingo - drew a worldwide audience of 97,000. 435 venues (477 screens) in the United States and Canada sold approximately 77,000 tickets; 100 international venues (100 screens) sold an additional 20,000 tickets.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2007-12-18]

Met Opera Releases On-Demand Operas
The Metropolitan Opera and Rhapsody launched an on-demand digital music service Tuesday in which 100 operas from 1937-2006 are available for purchase.
The operas include performances by sopranos Maria Callas, Beverly Sills, Birgit Nilsson and Renata Tebaldi, and tenors Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Franco Corelli and Richard Tucker. They can be accessed from TiVo set-top boxes, in-home digital audio players, personal computers and portable media players.
— Read more at The Associated Press [2007-11-21]

LA Opera to Celebrate Anniversary of Domingo Debut
Los Angeles Opera will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Plácido Domingo's Los Angeles debut in a gala concert at Walt Disney Hall on April 18. The tenor sang the title role in Alberto Ginastera's Don Rodrigo during a 1967 tour with the New York City Opera at the then-new Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2007-11-20]

Fallen woman
A relatively small group of stars at the pinnacle of the opera world, including Placido Domingo, Renée Fleming and Cecilia Bartoli, tend to head marquees and grab the headlines.
But right below them is a stratum of superbly talented singers who might not have the same widespread name recognition but are highly respected in the field and kept every bit as busy as their better-known peers.
— Read more at The Denver Post [2007-11-12]

The Met Broadcasts Romeo et Juliette Dec.15 Live in HD
The second season of Metropolitan Opera: Live in High Definition kicks off worldwide on Saturday, December 15 at 1PM (EST) with the first of the Met's eight live opera transmissions: Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, starring Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, conducted by Plácido Domingo.
— Read more at BroadwayWorld.com [2007-11-08]

Opera Picks Pittsburgher As Its Executive Director
Mark Weinstein, who helped build Pittsburgh Opera into one of the most admired mid-level companies in the United States, will join Washington National Opera as executive director on Feb. 1, WNO announced yesterday. He will report to Placido Domingo, WNO's general director.
— Read more at washingtonpost.com [2007-11-01]

Don Giovanni Starring Erwin Schrott Opens at Washington National Opera
An autumn chill has just fallen over the East Coast, but it should be getting pretty warm at the Kennedy Center Opera House this evening, as Washington National Opera opens a new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed and designed by John Pascoe and conducted by the company's general director, Plácido Domingo.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2007-10-26]

Tenor Joseph Kaiser in Met Debut
At 66, Placido Domingo says he's too old to sing the part of a love-struck teenage Romeo. But he's better suited than anyone for the role of coach and mentor to a young tenor who's considered a budding opera star.
Joseph Kaiser made his Metropolitan Opera debut Wednesday in Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette," with Domingo - best known as a tenor - conducting the orchestra. Kaiser, a 29-year-old Canadian, was a surprise replacement for famed tenor Rolando Villazon, who canceled six weeks ago.
— Read more at The Associated Press [2007-10-05]

Requiem in awe of the end
Verdi's Requiem was a late addition to Los Angeles Opera's fall season, a response to the death of Edgar Baitzel, the company's chief operating officer and Plácido Domingo's right-hand man, in March. A sad spring and summer followed, with the loss of Mstislav Rostropovich, Beverly Sills and, last week, Luciano Pavarotti.
— Read more at Los Angeles Times [2007-09-12]

A full and diverse L.A. Opera season
LOS ANGELES OPERA will move on to the national stage this May and will feature 10 works in its 2007-2008 season, presented in 69 performances beginning with a gala weekend Sept. 8 and 9 in Los Angeles.
The season, which was announced by L.A. Opera general director Placido Domingo in a press conference at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Thursday, will feature two company premieres (Janacek's "Jenufa" and Alexander Zemlinsky's "Der Zwerg"), a U.S. premiere (Viktor Ullmann's "Der Zerbrochene Krug"), productions of several of opera's greatest works and a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Giacomo Puccini with presentations of three of his operas, including the rarely heard "La Rondine."
— Read more at Pasadena Star-News [2007-08-31]

Tan Dun's Tea in Its North American Premiere
When Tan Dun's third opera, The First Emperor, had its world premiere this past winter with Plácido Domingo in the title role, thousands of people saw it live in its sold-out run at the Metropolitan Opera House, and many thousands more enjoyed it in movie theaters via high-definition simulcast and later on PBS television.
— Read more at PlaybillArts [2007-07-27]

Woody Allen directs opera
Woody Allen, directing an opera? In Los Angeles? It will happen in September 2008, according to Placido Domingo, general director of the Los Angeles Opera.
The New York filmmaker will make his operatic directorial debut with the opening event of the LA Opera's 2008-09 season.
— Read more at heraldtribune.com [2007-06-27]

AT&T Foundation funding youth opera outreach
The AT&T Foundation has donated $225,000 to the San Antonio Opera to support outreach efforts for the upcoming Plácido Domingo concert.
AT&T, along with the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, is providing underwriting support for the performance of the world-renowned opera singer scheduled for June 19, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Alamodome.
— Read more at bizjournals.com [2007-06-19]

S.A. Opera's high-profile shows launch effort toward wider reach
On Tuesday night, the curtain will rise at the Alamodome on Plácido Domingo's "From the Heart" concert.
Some of the opera fans attending probably also had tickets for internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade's recital on Saturday, another presentation of San Antonio Opera.
— Read more at MySA.com [2007-06-18]

D.C. opera simulcast at UW
The University of Washington is one of 19 universities, colleges and high schools around the country selected to receive a free, live simulcast of Puccini's "La Bohème," in a production from "the other Washington" (the Washington National Opera in our nation's capital). The "La Bohème," directed by Mariusz Trelinski, will be simulcast Sept. 23 as an operatic first (the Metropolitan Opera's very successful live simulcasts to movie theaters around the country are paid-admission). Company general director Plácido Domingo announced the initiative last week as part of an effort to make opera more widely available to audiences.
— Read more at Seattle Times [2007-06-01]

UA Takes Part in National Opera Event
The University of Arkansas will bring a live video simulcast performance by the Washington National Opera to audiences in Northwest Arkansas this September. Plácido Domingo, general director of Washington National Opera, announced plans for a free nationwide simulcast, and the university's participation, during a news conference in Washington, D.C.
— Read more at University of Arkansas [2007-05-24]

Met scraps Chinese tour of Dun's First Emperor
The Metropolitan Opera has scrapped plans for a proposed visit to China with composer Tan Dun's The First Emperor, the company announced Friday.
The prestigious opera house revealed that the logistics could not be put together for the lavish, elaborate work, which stars famed Spanish tenor Placido Domingo in the title role.
— Read more at CBC.ca [2007-05-14]

Royal Opera 2007/2008 Season
[So the Royal Opera's new season is announced, and what a treat it looks to be.]
Even the seemingly obligatory revivals are bolstered by attractive casts, and such a lot is new and enticing.
The three Ring cycles are pretty much old news now, but even Keith Warner's confused, overly ambitious and critically panned production is worth enduring for casts that include Bryn Terfel and Placido Domingo (October 2007).
— Read more at musicomh.com [2007-04-09]

Your chance to assess the Met's experiment
Tan Dun's "The First Emperor" took quite a critical beating at its world premiere in December at New York's Metropolitan Opera with Placido Domingo in the title role. Many observers wrote that the Chinese-born composer's opera about the emperor who built the Great Wall awkwardly melds Western and Eastern musical vocabularies without striking out in new directions.
— Read more at cleveland.com [2007-04-02]