The opera legend speaks of being proud of his relationship with Rolex in the video above, discussing the reach of his work with the watchmaker. He mentions their support of Operalia and of opera houses around the world, like La Scala and The Met. Below, he discusses the twenty year anniversary of the singing competition and its effect on the world of opera at an international level. He emphasizes the importance of opening doors to talented voices in places like China and Sri Lanka, connecting them to the people who can help them elevate their careers.


"My purpose in Operalia is to help identify not only the best voices, but also to discover those singers whose personalities, characters and powers of interpretation show that they have the potential to become complete artists. Individuals such as these become tomorrow’s stars," says Domingo of the competition. Check out the promotional video for Operalia on their official website to learn more about the competition. For more about Plácido Domingo, visit his official website at placidodomingo.com.

The 2016 competition took place in Guadalajara, Mexico, in July and awarded the first prize to South Korean tenor Keon-Woo Kim for the male division and French soprano Elsa Dreisig for the female division. The videos embedded below show the winners performing at Teatro Degollado on July 25, 2016. Click here for a list of all of this year's participants and finalists.

Rolex Testimonee Plácido Domingo (photo: Rolex/ Mario Testino)

The tenor has sung over 150 roles in some of the greatest opera houses in the world including La Scala in Milan, London's Royal Opera House and The Metropolitan Opera in New York City. After establishing himself as an opera great in the 1960s and 1970s, he began recording popular and Latin music in the 1980s with much success. He became a Rolex Arts Testimonee in 1982.

The worlds of opera and popular music came together when Domingo joined Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras to form The Three Tenors in 1990. Their first album together, Carreras Domingo and Pavarotti in Concert, became the best selling classical album of all time.

In 1994 the trio performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra for their second album of live recordings. Their performance of My Way is embedded below with Frank Sinatra giving them a standing ovation at the end. Domingo is currently the general director of the Los Angeles Opera.

Aside from his illustrious career as a tenor, baritone and conductor, Domingo also gives his time to emerging musical talents. He founded Operalia in 1993, a contest that travels the world looking for fresh opera talent. He is known to take an interest in the winners of the competition and spends time helping develop their individual careers. Rolex has sponsored Operalia since 2001.

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