American bass, soloist at the Metropolitan Opera. Born in 1941 in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, into a family of Ukrainian emigrant descendants. He graduated from Montclair University in New Jersey and studied with the renowned vocal pedagogue Armen Boyajian, whose other students later included Marisa Galvany, Samuel Ramey, and Eric Owens. The singer's debut took place in 1961 in Boyajian's private opera company in Paterson, New Jersey.
In 1966, after winning several competitions, Plishka signed a contract with the Metropolitan Opera and made his Met debut in 1968 as the Monk in Ponchielli's "La Gioconda". He remained a soloist with that theatre for 50 years, performing first small roles and then leading ones, such as Philip II ("Don Carlos"), Boris, Varlaam, and Pimen ("Boris Godunov"), Oroveso ("Norma"), Raimondo ("Lucia di Lammermoor"), Daland ("The Flying Dutchman"), Rocco ("Fidelio"), Leporello ("Don Giovanni"), Silva ("Ernani"), Fiesco ("Simon Boccanegra"), Dosifey ("Khovanshchina"), Dulcamara ("L'Elisir d'Amore"), Sir John Falstaff ("Falstaff"), and Dr. Bartolo ("The Marriage of Figaro" and "The Barber of Seville").
Plishka also performed successfully in other opera houses in the United States and Europe – the Baltimore Opera, Dallas Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Toulouse Opera, and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. In 1974, he made his La Scala debut in Berlioz's "The Damnation of Faust"; in 1977, his Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut as Ramfis in "Aida"; in 1981, his Paris National Opera debut as the Father Superior ("La Forza del Destino"); in 1990, he performed at the Arena di Verona in Verdi's Requiem; and in 1998-99, he appeared at the Salzburg Festival as the Grand Inquisitor ("Don Carlos").
Nevertheless, the Metropolitan Opera remained his primary workplace. Over 50 years of his career, Plishka appeared on the Met stage more than 1,670 times, both in leading roles and in comprimario parts – one of very few such artists in the theatre's history. In 2018, at the age of 76, the singer performed on the Met stage for the last time in the small roles of Benoit and Alcindoro in "La Bohème".
In 1966, after winning several competitions, Plishka signed a contract with the Metropolitan Opera and made his Met debut in 1968 as the Monk in Ponchielli's "La Gioconda". He remained a soloist with that theatre for 50 years, performing first small roles and then leading ones, such as Philip II ("Don Carlos"), Boris, Varlaam, and Pimen ("Boris Godunov"), Oroveso ("Norma"), Raimondo ("Lucia di Lammermoor"), Daland ("The Flying Dutchman"), Rocco ("Fidelio"), Leporello ("Don Giovanni"), Silva ("Ernani"), Fiesco ("Simon Boccanegra"), Dosifey ("Khovanshchina"), Dulcamara ("L'Elisir d'Amore"), Sir John Falstaff ("Falstaff"), and Dr. Bartolo ("The Marriage of Figaro" and "The Barber of Seville").
Plishka also performed successfully in other opera houses in the United States and Europe – the Baltimore Opera, Dallas Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Toulouse Opera, and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. In 1974, he made his La Scala debut in Berlioz's "The Damnation of Faust"; in 1977, his Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut as Ramfis in "Aida"; in 1981, his Paris National Opera debut as the Father Superior ("La Forza del Destino"); in 1990, he performed at the Arena di Verona in Verdi's Requiem; and in 1998-99, he appeared at the Salzburg Festival as the Grand Inquisitor ("Don Carlos").
Nevertheless, the Metropolitan Opera remained his primary workplace. Over 50 years of his career, Plishka appeared on the Met stage more than 1,670 times, both in leading roles and in comprimario parts – one of very few such artists in the theatre's history. In 2018, at the age of 76, the singer performed on the Met stage for the last time in the small roles of Benoit and Alcindoro in "La Bohème".
