Paul Plishka

Paul Plishka (August 28, 1941 – February 3, 2025) was an American operatic bass based at the Metropolitan Opera (Met) in New York City where he appeared first in 1967 and last in 2018, in 88 roles and 1672 performances. He also sang at leading houses internationally, a regular guest at La Scala in Milan and touring with the ensemble to Tokyo and Moscow. His voice was described as dark, rich, powerful and expressive. After years of small roles he performed leading roles, developing in Verdi's Don Carlos from a Monk to the Grand Inquisitor at the 1998 Salzburg Festival and Philip II of Spain. He chose the title role of Verdi's Falstaff for his 25th anniversary at the Met.

Life and career Plishka was born in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, His grandparents had immigrated there from Ukraine and had worked in coal mines and factories. His father, Peter Plishka, worked as a stockroom employee, and his mother, Helen, was a seamstress in a factory. He grew up with a younger brother, Peter. Plishka studied voice at Montclair State College When that company folded, he was offered to become a member of the Metropolitan Opera (Met). also included both the King and Ramfis in Verdi's Aida, both a monk and Philip II of Spain in Verdi's Don Carlos, both Wurm and Count Walter in Verdi's Luisa Miller, both Commendatore and Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni, both the Minister and Rocco in Beethoven's Fidelio, both Abimelech and an Old Hebrew in Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila, both Basilio and Bartolo in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, Raimondo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Oroveso in Bellini's Norma, Titurel in Wagner's Parsifal, Ferrando in Verdi's Il trovatore, Frère Laurent in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, Marke in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Procida in Verdi's I vespri Siciliani, Timur in Puccini's Turandot, both Pimen and Varlaam in Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, Alvise in Ponchielli's La Gioconda, Banquo in Verdi's Macbeth, Narbal in Les Troyens by Berlioz, Silva in Verdi's Ernani, Fiesco in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, Dosifej in Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina, Dulcamara in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Giorgio in Bellini's I puritani, Jorg in Verdi's Stiffelio, the Waterman in Dvořák's Rusalka, Pagano in Verdi's I Lombardi, Sparafucile in Verdi's Rigoletto, Padre Guardiano in La forza del destino, Kezal in Smetana's The Bartered Bride, Dansker in Britten's Billy Budd, the Count des Grieux in Massenet's Manon and Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. and again in 2018. he was number nine on the Met's official list of frequent performers.

Voice Plishka's voice was described as dark, rich, In 2009, Jeffrey was charged with the 1991 killing of a 24-year-old camp counselor. He was acquitted the following year. Jeffrey died in 2017. Paul and Nicolai also predeceased their father. Plishka's second wife was Sharon Thomas,

Recordings Puccini: Tosca [as the Sacristan] (L. Price, Domingo, Milnes; Mehta, 1972) Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Sutherland, Kraus, Elvíra; Bonynge, Donnell, 1982) [live] Berlioz: Les Troyens (Norman, Troyanos, Domingo; Levine, Melano, 1983) [live] Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (Tomowa-Sintow, Milnes; Levine, Capobianco, 1984) [live] Puccini: Turandot (Marton, Domingo; Levine, Zeffirelli, 1987) [live] Verdi: Luisa Miller (J. Anderson; Arena, Lassalle, 1988) [live] Verdi: Requiem (Sweet, Zajick, Pavarotti; Maazel, 1990) [live] The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991 (Levine, 1991) [live] Verdi: Falstaff (Freni, Horne; Levine, Zeffirelli/Mills, 1992) [live] Verdi: Stiffelio (Sweet, Domingo; Levine, del Monaco, 1993) [live] James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala (1996) [live]