projects
About This Project
We are thrilled to share with you our debut project on XXI Century Records, Verdi, the Father. Joining Maestro Domingo to record this project is a star-studded cast of past Operalia laureates including Aida Garifullina, Ana María Martínez, Arturo Chacón Cruz, Elena Stikhina, Guanqun Yu, Joseph Calleja, Nicholas Brownlee, Pavel Petrov, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Pretty Yende, and Sonya Yoncheva, accompanied by the prestigious Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Kohn.
Ten-time Grammy® Award winner Chris Alder oversees the production, while the engineering team is led by Pierpaolo Guerrini, a three-time Grammy nominee.
Verdi, the Father showcases the profound emotional depths of Giuseppe Verdi's greatest works centered around the complex dynamics between fathers and their children. Verdi himself experienced devastating personal tragedy when both of his young children died in infancy between 1838-1840, followed soon after by the death of his first wife Margherita at age 26 from encephalitis. This profound loss initially led Verdi to vow never to compose again, until the libretto for Nabucco inspired him to return to music — perhaps as an artistic outlet for processing his grief.
Recognized as one of the greatest opera composers in history, Verdi poured his heart and soul into compositions that repeatedly explored father-daughter relationships. This deeply personal theme appears throughout his masterworks — from the cursed Rigoletto and his beloved Gilda, to the powerful reunion duets in Simon Boccanegra, and the tragic Amonasro-Aida dynamic.
This recording represents a visionary concept to spotlight the great duet moments that illuminate these profound father-child relationships in Verdi's operas.
Each participant will gain exclusive access to the Verdi, the Father project experience, which will include interviews with the artists, live studio footage, photos, and more.
We hope you’ll join us in embarking on this historic adventure.
ABOUT XXI CENTURY RECORDS
XXI Century Records, founded by Plácido Domingo, is an innovative new record label and audience-engagement platform dedicated to the finest operatic and classical recording projects and to fostering emerging artists.
XXI Century Records is transforming how operatic music is created. We believe that great music lives not only in the concert hall but also in the hearts and minds of those who experience it. We invite our community to be active participants in every step of the creative journey. By documenting the creative process behind these historical recordings, we are preserving the legacy of this music—and the great artists who create it—for generations to come.