Lithuania in the News
24th February 2019
Lithuania’s Independence Day Celebrated with a Special Concert by Plácido Domingo, the World-famous Opera Tenor
President Dalia Grybauskaitė (centre) meeting Plácido Domingo (left)
and Violeta Urmana (right). Photo courtesy lrp.lt/Robertas Dačkus
The world’s most famous opera singer Plácido Domingo had said that he had always wanted to give a concert in Lithuania, but on the condition that he could bring along with him Lithuania’s own world-renown soprano Violeta Urmanavičiūtė-Urmana.
This happy event eventuated a week ago on Saturday, February 16, on the 101th anniversary of the reestablishment of Lithuania’s Independence. This superb concert took place in the Kaunas Žalgiris Arena to a capacity audience. Performing together with Plácido Domingo and Violeta Urmana was the opera star Ana María Martínez and Spanish conductor Jordi Bernáce, with the Lithuanian State Orchestra.
President Dalia Grybauskaitė also meeting Jordi Bernáce (left)
and Ana María Martínez. Photo courtesy lrp.lt/Robertas Dačkus
Prior to the concert President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with Plácido Domingo and the other performers in the Presidential Place in Vilnius. President Grybauskaitė declared, “that the concert carries great symbolic meaning because exactly one hundred years ago Kaunas was designated as the provisional capital of Lithuania, emerging a national centre of national cultural activity.”
With more than 3900 career performances to his credit, Plácido Domingo is not only renowned as one of the world finest opera tenors, but is also a conductor of operas and symphonic concerts and a patron of young talents.
The President noted that “Plácido Domingo’s concert promoted Lithuania as a country of deep-rooted opera traditions and passionate opera lovers”. Lithuania has indeed a long history of opera appreciation, with one of the first operas in Europe staged in Vilnius in the 17th century.

Further information:
https://www.lrp.lt/en/press-centre/press-releases/the-presidente-met-with-the-king-of-opera-placido-domingo/31853
http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/menas-ir-pramogos/operos-karaliaus-p-domingo-koncertas-kaune-suzavejo-publika-901665
https://www.delfi.lt/kultura/naujienos/lietuvoje-pirmakart-viesintis-operos-zvaigzde-placido-domingo-seniai-sakiau-violetai-kad-turime-atvykti.d?id=80372747