Lola Johnson: “The Palau de les Arts is once again becoming a world reference point by having Plácido Domingo conducting operas in Valencia”

•He points out that few auditoriums in the world have the possibility of bringing together programs of such a high level as the Palau de les Arts
•Plácido Domingo will conduct Gian Carlo Menotti's 'The Telephone' and 'Amelia al ballo' on July 13 and 14 at the Martín i Soler Theatre of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

Valencia (11-7-11).- The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Lola Johnson, has highlighted that "the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is once again becoming the world reference point for opera this week, with tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo leading operas in Valencia."

Councillor Lola Johnson, together with the Director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Helga Schmidt, and tenor Plácido Domingo, presented the productions 'The Telephone' and 'Amelia al ballo' by Gian Carlo Menotti, which Plácido Domingo will conduct on July 13 and 14 at the Martín i Soler Theatre of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía.

In this regard, Lola Johnson stated that "few auditoriums in the world have the possibility of bringing together programs of such a high level as the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía."

“Valencia is going to host an exceptional pairing: one of the world’s best tenors and conductors leading one of the world’s best orchestras. In addition, students from the Plácido Domingo Centre for Advanced Studies, the only one of its kind in Europe and on par with those in Los Angeles and Washington, will be participating in the operas,” the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport emphasized.

For her part, the Director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Helga Schmidt, highlighted that “Plácido Domingo is once again at the helm of the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana to conduct these performances prepared personally by him, who has worked intensively during the last few weeks with each and every one of the young singers participating in both casts.”

“Domingo, a close friend of the Palau de les Arts since its inception, also wanted to have his students from the Centre de Perfeccionament perform together with others from the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program of the Washington National Opera and Operalia,” Schmidt emphasized.

Plácido Domingo has stated that “this is the first serious work with the singers of the Centre de Perfeccionament and it is a great satisfaction to be able to conduct these operas on the centenary of the birth of the composer Gian Carlo Menotti, whom I knew, admired and performed with. I would like to highlight the high level of the singers participating in this production who come from the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, the Washington National Opera and Operalia.”

Domingo also stated that "this new production will later travel to Los Angeles, Monte Carlo and other cities in the European Union."

Operas in homage to the centenary of the birth of Gian Carlo Menotti

July 7, 2011 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who was one of the most beloved musicians of the 20th century.
To mark this centenary, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía and its Centre de Perfeccionamiento Plácido Domingo offer a double bill consisting of 'The Telephone' and 'Amelia al ballo', staged by Jean-Louis Grinda and with musical direction by Plácido Domingo.

With his presence on the podium, leading the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana and the singers of the Centre de Perfeccionamiento that bears his name, the Madrid-born tenor and conductor also joins in this tribute to the composer who expressly wrote the opera Goya for him, which Domingo premiered successfully at the Washington Opera in 1986.

Plácido Domingo Improvement Center

The 2011 course at the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo features the creation of the Centre de Perfeccionament Choir, made up of 15 choral artists, mostly from the Valencian Community, as well as from other countries such as Italy, Romania, Mexico, etc.

It is worth highlighting the strong support of SERVEF for this project from its inception, subsidizing, along with the European Social Fund, the educational activities of the training center. Throughout the course, the singers have the opportunity to work with internationally renowned artists as well as participate in concerts and operatic productions at the Martín i Soler Theatre, such as “La Scala di seta” in 2009, “L'Italiana in Algeri” in 2010, both by Gioacchino Rossini, and now “The Telephone” and “Amelia al ballo.”

Likewise, students have the opportunity to participate in the various opera productions of the Palau de les Arts season, as has happened in “Les Troyens”, “La Traviata”, “Madama Butterfly”, “Una cosa rara”, “Manon”, “L'Elisir d'amore”, among others, throughout the past seasons of the Palau.