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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Placido Domingo
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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Placido Domingo
Born January 21, 1941 in Madrid into a busy musical environment that has determined what he is, what he does, and how he does it.
His parents, Plácido Domingo and Pepita Embil, acclaimed zarzuela singers in Spain, started their own company in Latin America when he was small. From 1949 onwards Plácido and his younger sister Mari Pepa grew up in Mexico City, where he attended the National Conservatory for an all-round musical education which included piano, conducting, composition and vocal interpretation. Surprisingly, singing lessons as such were not on his curriculum.
Placido started off as a classic case of learning by doing, singing small roles in Mexico. Yet his inherent musicality and intelligence and the astonishing beauty of his virile timbre coupled with a passionate belief in the importance of text and underlying orchestral fabric, the amazing scope of his repertoire and an incredible amount of sheer hard work have ensured his place among the mere handful of tenors who wrote operatic history in the 20th century. And he continues to write history into the 21st century.
Married on August 1, 1962 to Marta Ornelas, Domingo has three sons, José (from a previous marriage), Plácido Jr. and Alvaro. Marta Domingo gave up her own flourishing stage career as a soprano in the mid-1960s in order to devote herself to the family.
For more information on Placido Domingo go to Tenorissimo or his Official Website
The Three Tenors
Considered three of the greatest opera stars of the late 20th century, Spanish-born singers Plácido Domingo , left, and José Carreras, center, and Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti, right, perform collectively to enormous acclaim as the Three Tenors. Their 1994 recording with the Los Angeles Philharmonic won a Grammy award and became the bestselling classical album of all time. Performing extensively on multicontinental tours and television appearances, the Three Tenors reach audiences as few opera performers before them.
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Medal History
