A free charity concert with Plácido Domingo took place in Hungary on August 6. The main aim of the event was to say “Thank you!” to the healthcare workers who have been fighting in the first line of fire during the coronavirus pandemic crisis. The event, which seated about 5,000 people, was held on Dunakapu Square in the city of Győr.
Contributors:
PLÁCIDO DOMINGO, baritone and conductor;
Adela Zaharia, soprano;
Balázs-Piri Soma, former winner of Virtuosos talent show – piano
Plácido Domingo Jr., guest performer
Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, guest conductor: EUGENE KOHN
The concert of the Spanish-born opera singer-conductor, who is renowned and celebrated all over the world, was the highlight of the summer in Győr. Maestro Plácido Domingo performed with his guests at this concert. His son, Plácido Domingo Jr. who is a singer, composer, producer who writes songs for his father and many other world-famous singers, including such big names as Michael Bolton, Sarah Brightman, Diana Ross, sang solo and duets with his father. Plácido Domingo Jr. also composed the main title music for “Virtuosos V4 +”, which was also performed during the concert, conducted by his Father, the Maestro. Adela Zaharia soprano, who won first place in Maestro Domingo’s Operalia competition in 2017, and is currently a soloist at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf also performed solo arias and duets with Maestro Domingo.
The piano soloist of the concert was the winner of the fourth season of the Virtuosos, 17-year-old Balázs-Piri Soma, whose talent impressed Maestro Domingo so much that he helped him buy his own piano. The conductor of the evening was the legendary Eugene Kohn, Plácido Domingo’s long term colleague.
THE “KING OF OPERA”
Plácido Domingo is today’s most popular opera artist. His repertoire includes 151 roles, more than any other opera singer ever in the history of music, his performances have exceeded four thousand, and he has made hundreds of audio and video recordings and opera films.
FANTASTIC CONCERT PROGRAM
The concert featured popular arias, musical and operetta duets, zarzuelas, and the main music of the Virtuosos, composed by the son of the great artist, Plácido Domingo Jr. and orchestrated by composer Sergio Kuhlmann. Balázs-Piri Soma played the full, orchestral version of Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy.
THANKS TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS
At the press conference of the event, at the Eiffel Studios in Budapest, Maestro Plácido Domingo said how important it was to nurture talent and discover young talent, so it was a great pleasure for him to get in touch with the Virtuosos. He also emphasized that how grateful he was to the healthvcare workers who have been fighting against Covid. He and several of his family had been infected with the coronavirus and were hospitalized for it, so this charity concert important to him, with which he himself could personally thank the health workers.
WHY GYŐR?
The question is easy to answer: the Maestro’s long term colleague, manager, Nicholas Zoltán Marko was born near Győr, and grew up there, before relocating to the USA and soon starting his never ending career, working with Maestro Domingo. It was Nicky’s dream to make this concert, and as both the Maestro, and Mariann Peller, founder of Virtuosos and the Mayor of Győr loved the idea – they teamed up to make it happen.
