Plácido Domingo

Recovering from colon cancer surgery, performed at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City [March 9, 2010].

On October 2, 2005, he received the Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, recognizing him for his history of performing with the Hungarian State Opera and his love of Hungarian music. The honor is the highest presented by the Hungarian government to non-heads of state.

He has been named to head the L.A. Opera starting in June 2000.

Grand-Cross of the Order of Prince Henry of Portugal (1 July 1998), Grand-Cross of the Order of the Civil Merit of Spain (21 September 2002), Presidential Medal of Liberty (unknown date 2002), Honorary Knight-Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire of Great-Britain and Northern-Ireland (unknown date 2002), Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour of France (unknown date 2002), International Medal of the Arts of the Community of Madrid (unknown date 2006), unknown Degree of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle of Mexico (unknown date), Medal of the Nation's Sentiments of the Congress of the State of Guerrero, in Mexico (14 September 2010), Order of the Artistic and Cultural Merit Pablo Neruda of Chile (unknown date 2010), Knight-Grand-Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic of Spain (unknown date 2011), unknown Degree of the Order of the Arts and the Letters of Spain (unknown date 2011), Grand-Cross of the Order of the Public Instruction of Portugal (31 August 2018).

In 1986 he was awarded the Aztec Eagle medal by President de la Madrid in Mexico. The highest honor awarded to foreigners for goodwill acts in Mexico, for his role in aiding in the search and rescue and in the reconstruction of Mexico City after the earthquake of 1985 where a close aunt and uncle perished in the disaster.

Over the past twenty-five years (c. 1979-2004), he has become what many consider the definitive Otello in Verdi's opera. It is a role that he has recorded at least three times.