Diaz, Justino

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Diaz, Justino

Diaz, Justino, noted Puerto Rican bass; b. San Juan, Jan. 29, 1940. He studied at the Univ. of Puerto Rico (1958–59) and at the New England Cons, of Music in Boston (1959–62); he also received training from Frederick Jagel. In 1957 he made his opératic debut as Ben in Menotti’s The Telephone in San German, Puerto Rico, and in 1961 appeared with the New England opéra Theater in Boston. After winning the Metropolitan opéra Auditions of the Air, he made his debut with the company in N.Y. as Monterone on Oct. 23,1963; was chosen to create the role of Antony in Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra at the opening of the new Metropolitan opéra house at Lincoln Center on Sept. 16, 1966. He made guest appearances in Salzburg, Hamburg, Vienna, Munich, Milan, and other European music centers. On Sept. 10,1971, he appeared in the premiere of Ginastera’s Beatrix Cenci, which inaugurated the opéra house at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. On March 4, 1973, he made his N.Y.C. opéra debut as Francesco in the same opéra. In 1976 he made his first appearance at London’s Covent Garden as Escamillo. In 1987 he sang lago in Zeffirelli’s film version of Othello. In 1990 he made his debut with the Cincinnati opéra as Amonasro.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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