Paul Plishka, whose Metropolitan Opera career spanned 51 years, dies at age 83

By Ronald Blum

Paul Plishka, a powerful bass with a ready smile and hearty laugh who sang 1,672 performances at the Metropolitan Opera over 51 years, has died. He was 83.

Plishka died Monday at a hospice in Wilmington, North Carolina, his wife, Sharon Thomas, said Wednesday.

His Met career spanned generations, from a debut as the Monk alongside Renata Tebaldi, Sherrill Milnes and Rosalind Elias in Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda” on Sept. 21, 1967, to his final appearance in Puccini’s “La Bohème” on March 10, 2018.

Plishka recalled his debut during a 2012 interview with The Associated Press.

“These were idols. They were all gods for me,” he said. “The thing I remember is my costume. I remember under my arms, I was so nervous the perspiration came flowing out like a fire hydrant.”

He sang 88 roles at the Met, and his performance total ranks ninth in the company’s