PAUL PLISHKA's (Sacristan) extraordinary voice and impeccable artistry combine to make him one of the world's foremost singers. The distinguished American artist has become one of the most widely acclaimed and sought-after singers of our time.

A leading member of the Metropolitan Opera roster since 1967, he also appears regularly with major North American opera companies in San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston, Pittsburgh, Dallas, San Diego, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. In Europe, he has performed in Geneva, Munich, La Scala, Hamburg, Barcelona, Vienna, Berlin, Zurich, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Covent Garden.

Highlights for season 05/06 included performances of The Barber of Seville in Japan and China with Seiji Ozawa conducting. He also sang the title role of Don Pasquale with the Palm Beach Opera. Performances with the Metropolitan Opera included La bohème, Tosca, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Elixir of Love.

Plishka has been admired in many important roles since his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, where he has sung well over 1000 performances, but his voice is most often associated with Italian opera.

Paul Plishka has an extensive discography on Angel, ABC, Columbia, Erato, London, RCA, and Vox Records. His recording of the Verdi Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony and Robert Shaw won a Grammy in 1988.

Plishka was born and raised in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, among the Ukrainian community. The bass attended Montclair State College New Jersey, which conferred him with an honorary degree this last year, and began his musical studies with the Paterson Lyric Opera Theatre. At age 23, he won first place in the Baltimore Opera Auditions. He also won a prize in the Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions and soon thereafter joined the National Company of the Metropolitan Opera.

06/06