Monday (9/27) on the Washington Post blog Arts Post, Anne Midgette reports, “Plácido Domingo, the tenor, baritone, conductor, and opera administrator extraordinaire, said Monday that he will not renew his contract as general director of the Washington National Opera when it expires in June, 2011. His departure is not entirely a surprise—Domingo has long been thought to be chronically overextended. But it also means that the company is left without a marquee leader, its most recognizable brand, at a time when nearly every detail of the WNO’s future is open to question—most importantly, whether it will remain autonomous or merge with the Kennedy Center. Domingo, 69, who has been associated with the opera for 14 years, announced his decision via conference call to the WNO board at a meeting Monday morning, speaking from Los Angeles, where he is also general director of the Los Angeles Opera. … Domingo became artistic director of WNO in 1996, and has served as general director since 2003. His tenure is commonly said to have lifted the Washington National Opera to a new level, bringing in more international stars and big-name productions.”
Posted September 28, 2010
