Seven Amazing Facts About Plácido Domingo

Over 150 roles, 12 Grammys, and a world record for applause that no one has broken in 35 years: Plácido Domingo has been performing on stage for over six decades. On June 1, 2027, the singer will perform a gala recital at the Stadtcasino Basel. Here are seven facts about a career that amazes even opera connoisseurs.

1. He auditioned as a baritone

Plácido Domingo was born on January 21, 1941, in Madrid. In 1959, he auditioned at the National Opera in Mexico City as a baritone. The jury asked him to sing a tenor aria sight-reading as well, and hired him as a tenor. Yet he had actually studied piano and conducting at the conservatory. The retrained baritone went on to become the most famous tenor of his generation.

2. His Apprenticeship: 280 Performances in Two and a Half Years

From 1962 to 1965, Domingo sang 280 performances in twelve roles at the Israeli National Opera in Tel Aviv, often several times a week. He later referred to this workload as his true singing school. His debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York followed in 1968.

3. He holds the world record for the longest standing ovation

On July 30, 1991, Domingo sang the title role in Verdi’s *Otello* at the Vienna State Opera. Afterward, the audience applauded for 80 minutes, and the curtain rose 101 times.

4. No singer has performed more roles

Domingo’s repertoire includes over 150 roles, plus more than 4,000 performances—both record-breaking figures in opera history. For the big screen, he took on the leading roles in opera films by Franco Zeffirelli, Francesco Rosi, and Gianfranco De Bosio, including “La Traviata,” “Carmen,” and “Otello.”

5. During the Mexico City earthquake, he personally searched for survivors

During the earthquake of September 19, 1985, the Nuevo León residential high-rise in Mexico City collapsed; among the dead were four of Domingo’s relatives. The singer canceled his engagements and spent days helping to search the rubble for survivors. The following year, he held benefit concerts for the victims.

6. He scored a pop hit with a country star

In 1981, Domingo recorded the ballad “Perhaps Love” with American country singer John Denver. The duet aired on the radio alongside pop songs and introduced the tenor to a new audience. In total, Domingo has recorded around a hundred albums and received 12 Grammys for them.

7. His motto: “If I rest, I rust”

In 2009, at the age of 68, Domingo returned to the baritone repertoire and sang the title role in Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra.” In addition, he conducted over 600 performances, served as artistic director of the opera houses in Washington and Los Angeles, and founded the Operalia competition for young talent in 1993. On June 1, 2027, at the age of 86, he will take the stage at the Stadtcasino Basel. Rust? Not a trace.

Plácido Domingo Live in Basel

At the gala recital in the Musiksaal of the Stadtcasino Basel on Tuesday, June 1, 2027, Plácido Domingo will sing the great arias from his repertoire—primarily by Verdi and Puccini—along with duets with soprano Varduhi Khachatryan; with James Vaughan at the piano.