The great basso of the MET and one of the world’s foremost singers –  Paul Plishka – will be retiring from the MET stage after his last Tosca on January 28, 2012.

There will be a special onstage presentation to him during the performance to celebrate one of the truly memorable and extraordinary careers at that opera house.

By the MET’s count, he has sung 1637 performances (including tours and special events) in 88 roles with that house, including 12 opening nights.

These performances alone are more in number than any other singer of lead roles in the history of that opera house.  And we’ve not begun to mention the host of other opera houses where he’s
appeared.

He hails from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, made his MET debut in 1967 as the Monk in La Gioconda,  and since then,  has been a mainstay of that great house.

He was the Colline in La Boheme in the first ever ‘Live From The Met’ on PBS with Luciano Pavarotti and Renata Scotto in 1977;  portrayed and recorded the title role in Falstaff with Mirella Freni for his 25th Anniversary with James Levine conducting.

This beloved of all singers is thought of as a great colleague and artist — is considered one of the truly great Verdi bassos of our time,  honored and revered in Don Carlo, Ernani, Simon Boccanegra, Nabucco, Aida,  I Vespri Siciliani, Luisa Miller, and La Forza Del Destino.  As a singer of Ukrainian decent, he is very proud to have portrayed the title role in Boris Godunov at the MET,  the Bolshoi and other important theaters.

The sheer number of recordings and videos is simply too overwhelming to mention here.

He’s partnered every important soprano, mezzo, tenor and baritone in the world — with many now retired and some departed, including Luciano Pavarotti,  Joan Sutherland,  Renata Tebaldi, and a list that reads like the VIP’s of opera.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS He has appeared regularly with major opera companies in such North American cities as San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston, Pittsburgh, Dallas, San Diego, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. In Europe, he has performed at Covent Garden and La Scala and in Geneva, Munich, Hamburg, Barcelona, Vienna, Berlin, Zurich, Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. Concert appearances include engagements with leading orchestras in New York, Houston, Toronto, Minnesota, and Boston.