If you were lucky enough to get an invitation, your senses would be overwhelmed with garlic, lemons, and sweet oregano while listening to the chic couple talk about their adventures living all over Europe, singing in the most beautiful opera houses, and probably tennis. Plato and Dorothy Karayanis loved to entertain in their condominium at 3327 Prescott in Park Place. He came to Dallas hired by the Dallas Opera as the General Director to save it in 1977. The Opera company was at a low point financially and needed some new ideas to survive. Plato was able to increase donations tenfold and take the budget from $1.29 million for 12 performances of four operas to a budget of $9.5 million for 21 performances of five operas achieving record ticket sales with one of the highest subscription audiences in the country.
Plato was born in Pittsburg, PA. His parents were immigrants from Cyprus and Mytilene (Lesbos) and married and settled in Pittsburg. Plato was brought up bilingual and his mother made sure he knew how to cook the Greek classics. After seeing his first opera, La Boheme in high school, Plato became a member of the Pittsburg Civic Light Opera upon graduation and began training for a life in Opera. He worked his way through college studying voice and opera. One of his scholarships was to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where while learning stage directing, he met the love of his life, Dorothy Krebill.
Dorothy was a mezzo-soprano and soon after she married Plato in 1956, they went to Europe for eight years performing in opera houses in Germany and Switzerland. Dorothy and Plato then moved to San Fransico in 1964 where Plato started his management career. They joined the Metropolitan Opera National Company in 1965 where she was a leading mezzo-soprano and he was an assistant stage director and administrative assistant. Plato joined Affiliate Artists, Inc in 1967 before becoming the General Director for the fledging Dallas Opera in 1977 and staying 23 years to build it into a stunning success.
Neighbors knew Plato by his bright orange BMW pulling into the complex and often washing and polishing that car on weekends. He loved tennis and regularly had tennis workouts until he was 89. He loved classical music, jazz, and hand-tailored suits. Dorothy was often compared to Mary Tyler Moore because of her beauty and her bright, dazzling smile. She loved to cook, entertain her friends, and of course, opera. Both Dorothy and Plato were also involved, neighborhood activists in Perry Heights, and often had their neighbors over for those delicious Greek feasts they both would prepare.
Plato retired in 2000, and the couple moved to Sante Fe, NM, and was active in the opera company and other arts groups there for years. Plato passed away in April of 2022 due to cancer complications and was survived by his wife of 65 years, Dorothy. The couple was known for their gracious hospitality and outgoing spirit. We should all be so lucky to have a couple like the Karayanis as neighbors, however, they give all of Dallas the gift of a world-class opera company.