Placido Domingo turns 70

Renowned Spanish tenor Placido Domingo celebrated Friday his 70th birthday.

The event at the Teatro Real opera house in Madrid, Domingo's native city, was just one of many tributes to the performer, known to popular music audiences for his "Three Tenors" performances with Jose Carreras and the late Luciano Pavarotti, AFP reported.
Around 20 of the world's leading opera singers flew in to perform some 15 arias, the Teatro Real, hosts of the event, said.

"I feel very happy, very lucky and very thankful for all the public has given me around the world, they gave so much encouragement," Domingo told reporters in the Spanish capital.

"To arrive at 70 singing is a great privilege for me and it is a great privilege to be able to make the public happy still," he added.
The chorus of the Teatro Real opened the evening with excerpts from Richard Wagners's Tannhauser, which was followed by American soprano Deborah Polaski, who performed a scene from Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier.

German bass Rene Pape, Spanish soprano Ainhoa Arteta and Uruguyan baritone Erwin Shrott were also due to appear.
Domingo was watching the evening's entertainment from the balcony, with his family, ahead of a much-anticipated turn in the spotlight with the other performers on stage at the end.

The gala, which Spain's Queen Sofia was also due to attend, was made more accessible thanks to a giant screen erected in the Plaza de Oriente outside and broadcasts in around 20 countries.