Opera must be celebrated and recognized as a way to create intercultural understanding, Maestro Plácido Domingo, the general director of the Washington National Opera, said last Friday during a speech in Gaston Hall.

Domingo’s address was part of an event celebrating this year as the Year of Foreign Language Study, declared by Congress to recognize the role of language as a reflection of culture. The event also featured presentations by 10 members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists.

“The language of opera is one we must celebrate and nurture for the next millennium,” Domingo said. He also noted that as what he called a “universal language of human emotions,” opera can serve as a “powerful tool” for fostering dialogue across cultures.

The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists program featured the talents of young musicians from around the world. Domingo co-founded the program in March 2002, with the patronage of First Lady Laura Bush, among others, to realize his lifelong goal to help young artists and train a future generation of opera singers.

The highly-selective program admits only a handful of musicians from amongst the approximately 250 who apply. Fifty of those applicants are selected to audition in person, and 10 of those perform in front of Domingo himself.

“It has been a dream of mine for the past 30 years, to help the young people,” Domingo said of the program before his speech. “Every day they give me new satisfactions.”

Domingo’s only performance of the evening came when he sang an impromptu “Happy Birthday” to a student in the audience in his operatic tenor.

Serafina Hager, chair of the Italian Department, coordinated the evening as part of a series of events at Georgetown examining and celebrating language, and also delivered a speech.

Hager said before the event that opera is a language of emotion that explores passion, anger and pain. “Opera is something that can unite people,” she said.

Hager called Domingo, who holds an honorary degree from Georgetown, “the only great tenor we’re left.”

University Provost James O’Donnell, who introduced Domingo, praised the conductor’s visit.

“With the opening of the Davis Performing Arts Center this fall, I’m sure we will be seeing more and more engagement with the wider arts community in D.C. and beyond,” O’Donnell said.

Georgetown has been an active partner in the Generation O, or Generation Opera program, operated through the Domingo-Cafritz program, which is designed to foster understanding for and love of opera among young people.

Hager said that Georgetown has contributed to the program for the past three years with the help of donor Vincenzo Marra. Every year, 200 to 300 free tickets have been reserved for Georgetown students to see performances such as “Cinderella” or “The Magic Flute” at the Washington National Opera.

“I am delighted to see so much enthusiasm for opera” at Georgetown, Domingo said.

The event was co-sponsored by the Italian Department and the Washington National Opera.