Placido Domingo was born in Madrid on 21 January 1941, but spent his early life in Mexico where he studied conducting, piano and singing at the National Conservatory. After singing as a baritone with the zarzuela company run by his parents, he made his tenor debut as Alfredo in La traviata in 1960 at Monterrey, Mexico. He sang with the Israel National Opera in Tel Aviv from 1962 to 1965, and came to international prominence when he joined the New York City Opera in 1965. His superb tenor voice encompasses the widest range of repertoire from Mozart and Donizetti to late Verdi and Wagner.