Justino Díaz
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Justino Diaz (born January 29, 1940 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an internationally renowned opera singer.
Justino was born in San Juan but lived and was raised in a humble family in the town of Cataño. He attended Robinson Elementary School where, at the age of 8, he started to participate in the school's activities as a singer. In his first school play, when he was 10 years old, he sang the song "Old Black Joe", which became his favorite. After finishing his primary education, Justino attended the University of Puerto Rico High School in Rio Piedras. While in high school, he took singing classes and participated in various presentations around the island.
Justino joined the choir of the University of Puerto Rico where he sang solo. It wasn't long before Justino enrolled in the Music Conservatory of New England in Massachusetts. One of his professors was Boris Goldovsky, who would be very influential in his career. Justino made his professional debut as an opera singer at the Opera Theater of New England. In 1960, Goldovsky asked Justino to join his opera company on a 20-state tour. After the tour, he entered and participated in a competition celebrated at the Metropolitan Opera House, winning third place in the New England region.
Justino moved to New York upon finishing his studies at the conservatory. Goldovsky recommended that he be represented by Hans J. Hoffman, a talent agent. Soon, Justino was singing alongside other artists at the American Opera Society. He also sang with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
On March 29, 1963, Justino won an annual contest held at the Metropolitan of New York, becoming the "first" Puerto Rican to obtain such an honor. As a consequence, Justino made his Metropolitan debut on October 1963 in Verdi's Rigoletto as Monterone. Among the opera houses in which Justino has made presentations are: La Scala in Milan, Italy; Paris Opera, The Vienna Staatsoper; the Opera House of Salzburg; the New York City Opera; the Opera of Spoletto; the Opera of Rome; The Royal Opera House in Covent Garden; the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires; the Zarzuela Theater of Madrid and others. In 1966 he helped to inaugurate the Lincoln Center in New York City by starring in the opening night performance of Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Barber.
In Puerto Rico, Justino was a frequent participant in the annual Casals Festival. He sang in the inauguration of the Luis A. Ferre Center of Beautiful Arts in San Juan. He also played the role of Luis Muñoz Marín in the 1984 musical Fela. In 1986, Justino played the role of Jago, opposite Plácido Domingo in Franco Zeffirelli's film adaptation of Otello. In 1967, his Escamillo in Carmen was filmed, conducted and directed by Herbert von Karajan, and also starring Grace Bumbry and Jon Vickers.
Justino recorded El Mesias, Semele and Soloman by Handel. He also recorded Lucia di Lammermoor, L'assedio di Corinto (both with Beverly Sills) and Thaïs (with Anna Moffo). He has also sung the role of Emile De Becque in the world-premiere recording of the complete score from Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific (musical). He stars in this British-produced 2-CD set opposite Paige O'Hara as Nellie Forbush. In 1987, Diaz played the role onstage at Lincoln Center.
Among the recognitions and awards which Justino has been honored with are: An Honorary Doctorate in Music from the New England Conservatory, The Handel Medal from the City of New York and The National Medal of Culture from the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture.
On March 29, 2003, Justino Diaz retired after 40 years in the arts. However, before he made his last presentation at the Luis A. Ferrer Center of the Beautiful Arts, he held a good-bye tour where he closed all of his presentations with the song "Old Black Joe", the same song that he sang at the Robinson Elementary School when he was 10 years old.
Currently, Diaz and fellow Puerto Rican pianist Elias Lopez Soba, are the artistic and musical directors of the Casals Festival, a classical music event held annually in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
