Fred Plotkin

Fred Plotkin discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life.

He has worked in opera since 1972, doing everything but singing. This includes management, production, design, coaching, consulting and broadcasting. As a Fulbright Scholar, he directed opera at La Scala and later was the performance manager of the Metropolitan Opera for five years. He has worked for many of the great opera companies of the world and collaborated with many top stars. He is a popular presence on the intermission features of the Metropolitan Opera international radio broadcasts. He leads a series at NYU called Adventures in Italian Opera which has a big following.

Fred also is a regular commentator on NPR and the BBC, and a best-selling author. The fifth edition of his Italy for the Gourmet Traveler was published on June 1, 2010 by Kyle Books. It is the most complete book for visitors to Italy who are interested in that country’s peerless food and wine heritage. Fred has written six renowned books on Italian cuisine (including the classics Recipes from Paradise: Life and Food on the Italian Riviera; The Authentic Pasta Book; La Terra Fortunata: The Splendid Food and Wine of Friuli-Venezia Giulia) and has cooked on television and radio. His articles appear regularly in The New York Times, the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, Opera News, Bon Appétit, Gastronomica and other leading publications.