Plácido Domingo and Operalia: Building a Future for Talent
Plácido Domingo is of course first and foremost a singer who has made his mark as one of the greatest artists of the last 50 years. He is known by audiences, young and old alike, across the world and maintains a blazing schedule of performances across the globe, week-after-week, year-after-year as a very youthful 70-something. The Maestro doesn’t rest on his laurels giving endless farewell appearances and tours, but is an active proponent of new repertoire, constantly adding new roles to his list of over 140 with new commissions. He has been quoted as saying that “when I rest, I rust” when asked if he should be maintaining such a vigorous schedule. Maestro Domingo is also a conductor serves as an administrator in his role as General Director of the Los Angeles Opera and has won 12 Grammys, performed for millions as one of The Three Tenors and whose telecast of Tosca from Rome was viewed by more than a billion people across the globe. Two years ago, I had the fortune to work closely with Maestro Domingo in Seville in presenting his very first festival carrying his own name. Not only did it give me an insight into his uncanny ability to understand the delicate balance between pursuing artistic quality with knowing what audiences want, it gave me a sense of his fiercely-focused commitment to the future of the arts. For Plácido Domingo, music and arts education and giving opportunity to those who might not otherwise have the chance or platform to showcase their talent is perhaps the singlemost important objective of his life’s work outside of his achievements as a performer. For this reason, he founded Operalia in 1993: it has since become one of the most important institutions for discovering and launching the careers of the most promising young vocal talent in the world. The Sphinx Organization: Diversity and Fostering New Audiences