Born in Greece, he is now recognised as one of the foremost Verdi Baritones of the younger generation. Winning the Alexandra Trianti Scholarship enabled him to study in Italy under Masako Tanaka Protti and at the showcase concert for the winners of this bequest, Rodney Milnes said in Opera Magazine:

“The most impressive singer was the baritone Dimitris Platanias, who on this showing could sing Rigoletto anywhere in the world: beautifully warm, heroic tone, a dynamic range from forte to a pianissimo that lost nothing in colour or substance, musicianship and instinctive feeling for text - a name to watch out for in the current dearth of Verdi baritones.”

He went on to make his debut at Greek National Opera and his first appearance in Italy as Gerard Andrea Chenier. His debut at La Fenice di Venezia was as Rigoletto, a role that he has since made his own and it was as Rigoletto that he made his highly acclaimed debut at the Royal Opera Covent Garden. A most gifted linguist, he is noted not just for the splendour, rich timbre and beauty of his voice, but also for his insightful interpretations of the characters he portrays. His appearance as Rigoletto in concert with the London Symphony Orchestra under Gianandrea Noseda was greeted with great enthusiasm, leading Hugh Canning in The Sunday Times Culture – 22 September 2013 to write: “Platanias, meanwhile must now be the great white hope among younger Verdi baritones.”

Outstanding recent engagements include his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Simon Boccanegra, Iago Otello at Oper Frankfurt, Tonio I Pagliacci at the Osterfestspiele Salzburg (released on DVD), his debut at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia singing Nabucco and his highly acclaimed performances, combining both Alfio Cavalleria rusticana and Tonio I Pagliacci at the Royal Opera Covent Garden (released on DVD). He made his role debut was as Stankar Stiffelio at Teatro La Fenice di Venezia and he returned to the Royal Opera Covent Garden to sing Nabucco, repeating this role to make his debut at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. He returned to sing the role of Stankar Stiffelio at Oper Frankfurt and the Dutch online opera magazine Place de L’Opera said: “De grote man van de avond was de Griekse bas Dimitri Platanias, die een fenomenale vertolking van Stankar gaf. (The hero of the evening was the Greek bass singer Dimitri Platanias. His rendition of Stankar was phenomenal).”

His most recent role debut was in the title role of Verdi’s Macbeth at the Hamburgische Staatsoper and Ralf Reck of Tamino Klassikforum said: “Platanias erwies sich heute als würdiger Nachfolger von Piero Cappuccilli und Franz Grundhebe (Platanias today proved to be a worthy successor of Piero Cappuccilli and Franz Grundheber).”

To begin season 2017-18 he returned to the Concertgebouw Amsterdam for a very successful Simon Boccanegra.