Photo: Fotografías - archimadrid.es / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Plácido Domingo is one of those rare artists where the word "legendary" feels like an understatement. Born in Madrid in 1941, he became the defining tenor voice of the second half of the 20th century — a sound so rich and commanding it could fill a concert hall and simultaneously break your heart. What I find genuinely remarkable is the sheer range: over a hundred complete opera recordings, performing fluently across six languages, and then pivoting to conducting and arts administration without missing a beat. He's racked up the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Princess of Asturias Award, the Praemium Imperiale — basically every honor the Western world hands out to a musician. Still performing deep into his eighties, he's not a relic; he's proof that total dedication to craft can stretch a career across six decades and counting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Plácido Domingo
- Name (Japanese)
- プラシド・ドミンゴ
- Reading
- ぷらしど・どみんご
- Born
- January 21, 1941 (age 85)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Snake
- Origin
- Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
- Occupation
- opera singer / conductor / actor / singer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- 2011 Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
- Ring of Honour of the City of Vienna
- 2002 Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 2007 Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the State of Vienna
- Great Silver Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
- 1991 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts
- 2013 Praemium Imperiale
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Plácido Domingo born?
Born January 21, 1941 (age 85).
Where is Plácido Domingo from?
Plácido Domingo is from Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain.
What does Plácido Domingo do?
Plácido Domingo works as opera singer, conductor, actor, singer.
Opera singer — see all → · Conductor — see all → · More people from Spain →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.