Mikheil Kiria (baritone)
Mikheil Kiria was born in Zugdidi (Georgia), and graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatory in 2010. In 2005 he took part in Festivals in Russia and Georgia, and in 2007 obtained a scholarship from the Paata Burchuladze International Foundation. In 2010 he won the First Prize at the Lado Ataneli International Competition and debuted at the Opera Studio of Tbilisi's Conservatory in as Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata. In 2011 he appeared as Conte Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro.
From 2011 to 2013 he was a member of the Academy of Lyric Opera of La Scala where he prepared the roles performed with Academy and repertoire with Renato Bruson. On the Milanese stage, he performed Blansac in La Scala di Seta, Bob in The Little Sweep, and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola and in Muscat within the Academy tournèe Pistola in Falstaff.
Among his recent and future engagements: are the cover of Poliuto at the Glyndebourne Festival where he will be back next Summer with the one of Harasta in The Cunning Little Wixe, Ping in Turandot at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana with the Cracow Philarmonic Orchestra, Geronimo in Il Matrimonio Segreto in a Needherland tour, Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Deutsche Oper in Berlin. He will be Falstaff in the next Verdi Festival in Parma in 2017, Marco in Gianni Schicchi at the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam, and Don Magnifico in Cenerentola in Frankfurt.
Gocha Abuladze (1985 -) bariton
Gocha was born in Georgia. In 2004 he graduated from the Vocal Faculty of the Kutaisi M. Balanchivadze Musical College and entered V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatory Academic singing faculty class Prof. Nodar Andghuladze. While at the conservatory he obtained the Makvala Kasrashvili, Maia Tomadze, and Paata Burchuladze scholarships, and earned a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance. After Tbilisi State Conservatory graduation Mr. Abuladze continued his education at the Osimo Academy. While studying there (2010-2011) he participated in master classes from Raina Kabaivanska, Lella Cuberli, Alessandro Benini, Carlo Morganti, and Harriet Lowson (piano).
Mr. Abuladze sang several roles in the Conservatory Opera Studio. From 2005 to 2009 Abuladze sang the roles of Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, and Figaro in Barbiere di Siviglia. He first appeared at the Z. Paliashvili Tbilisi State Opera in 2009. In 2010 he made his debut in G. Verdi’s La Traviata as George Germont, which he also performed in Ferrara, Italy in 2011. In January 2012 he sang Tonio in Franco Zeffirelli’sproduction of Pagliacci at Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, conducted by Julian Kovachev. Abuladze also has an active career in concert performance.
Gocha Abuladze also took part in many festivals, including the International Festival of Chamber Music in Tbilisi (solo recital, 2010, accompanied by Vazha Chachava) and ArtGeni in 2006 organized by the Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II. In 2007-2008 he attended Montserrat Caballe's master class, after which he was selected to sing in a gala concert with Caballe in the Mozart Hall in Zaragoza.
While studying in Italy, he successfully participated in ten international vocal competitions and festivals. He was the winner of the international vocal competition “Citta di Ferrara" in 2011 and also received the special prize of Daniele Barioni. In 2012, competing with more than 200 singers, he won the Critic Prize of the Zandonai competition in Riva del Garda to his collection. He also participated in master classes from Mietta Sighele and Veriano Luchetti as 123 High Street, Town, County, Postcode 123-456-7890 part of the competition. Mr. Abuladze took part in a concert performance conducted by Maestro Marco Boemi. Mr. Abuladze won third prize for two consecutive years in the Magda Olivero international voice competition, receiving the awards from Mrs. Olivero herself in 2012 and 2013. Mr. Abuladze was allowed to perform the role of Iago in the Ravena Festival, given by Mrs. Christina Mazzavillani Muti. He also earned the Bastianini special prize for the best baritone.
In 2015 Abuladze was named the season’s best singer of Theater Magdeburg. Past engagements include Masetto/Don Giovanni in Montpellier (2013), Tomsky/The Queen of Spades at Grange Park Opera (2014), Figaro/Le Nozze di Figaro, Figaro/Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello/ La Boheme, Guglielmo/Cosi fan tutte, as well as Giorgio Germont/La Traviata at Theater Magdeburg, and Tonio/Pagliacci in Tirana, with Inva Mula in the role of Nedda.
In very successful 2016 he successfully debuted four new roles: Renato/Un Ballo in Maschera, the title role of Rigoletto in the Tirana State Opera, Ondino/La Campana Sommersa by Ettorino Resphighi, where he had the great fortune of working with Maestro Donato Renzetti, and Schaunard/La Boheme. In September 2016 he made his fifth debut as Rodrigo in Don Carlos at the Teatro Regio in Parma Urna.
Otar Jorjikia - tenor
Born in Tbilisi, Georgia. In 2003 - 2007 Otar Jorjikia studied in Austria, in Vienne Performing Arts College. In 2011 he took part in the young singers’ festival An International Opera Workshop in Sigriswil (Switzerland) and in 2012 he attended master classes conducted by Renato Bruson and Edda Moser. O. Jorjikia graduated from the Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire in 2013.
Mr. Jorjikia regularly appears at the Georgian Academic Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre. His European debut took place back in 2004 at the Raimund Theater (Vienna). Since then the singer has appeared at the Teatro all’Antica (Sabbioneta), the Teatro Regio (Parma), the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi (Busseto), the Teatro Comunale (Bologna), and in Switzerland - the Paul Klee Centre.
His repertoire includes the roles of the Duke (Rigoletto), Don Alvaro (La forza del destino), Ernani (Ernani), Alfredo (La traviata), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Cavaradossi (Tosca) and Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly). He is prize winner at the International Lado Antoneli Competition.
George Gagnidze –baritone (
He was born in Tbilisi and graduated from the State Conservatory. In the course of his career, George Gagnidze, who now masters the genre of dramatic heroic baritone, has worked with many renowned conductors and directors, including James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Fabio Luisi, James Conlon, Plácido Domingo, Mikko Franck, Jesús López-Cobos, Nicola Luisotti, Daniel Oren, Gianandrea Noseda, Kirill Petrenko, Yuri Temirkanov; Luc Bondy, Liliana Cavani, Robert Carsen, Peter Stein, Giancarlo Del Monaco, Henning Brockhaus, and Robert Sturua.
Mr. Gagnidze debuted as Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera in 1996 at the Paliashvili State Opera. He entered the “Concorso Voci Verdiane” in 2005 as an award-winner of the “Leyla Gencer Voice Competition” and the “Elena Obraztsova Competition”. The jury, (José Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli) awarded him first prize. In 2009 he made his sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Rigoletto and has since then ranked among the leading singers of his genre.
He is regularly invited by the most prestigious international opera companies, performances of the 2017/18 season include Tonio in Pagliacci at the Metropolitan Opera, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana and Tonio in Pagliacci at the Hamburg State Opera, Amonasro in Aida at the Teatro Real Madrid and at the Teatro alla Scala, his role debut as Barnaba in La Gioconda at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Among his engagements of the 2016/17 season are his role debut as Carlo Gérard in Andrea Chénier and Amonasro in Aida at the San Francisco Opera, Aida at the Metropolitan Opera, Andrea Chénier and Tosca at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Nabucco in a new production at the Arena of Verona as well as Šakovlity in Hovanščina for his debut at the BBC Proms.
Other past highlights include the title roles in Rigoletto and Macbeth; Cavalleria Rusticana (Alfio) and Hovanščina at the Metropolitan Opera, Nabucco (title role) and Tosca at the Vienna State Opera, Rigoletto, La traviata (Germont) and Aida at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Tosca at Opéra National of Paris, Simon Boccanegra (title role) at the Teatro Real di Madrid, Rigoletto at the Festival of Aix-en-Provence, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci at Gran Teatro del Liceu of Barcelona, La Traviata at the Arena of Verona, and Otello (Iago) at The Greek National Opera of Athens.
Anita Rachvelishvili, opera singer, mezzo soprano (1984 - )
Born in Tbilisi (Georgia, country), on June 28, 1984, Georgian mezzo-soprano Ms. Anita Rachvelishvili studied piano at the Mukhran Machavariani School and then entered Tbilisi State Conservatory Manana Egadze’s class. She received a scholarship from the President of Georgia, and in 2007 won the Paata Burchuladze Prize. While at the conservatory, she debuted as Maddalena in Rigoletto and as Olga in Eugen Onegin in at the Tbilisi State Opera House and joined the opera team in 2006. In 2007 she was invited to join the Accademia at the Teatro alla Scala and was heard by D. Barenboim, who invited her to star in Carmen in 2009/2010 La Scala Season.
On December 7th, 2009, she sang the Carmen opposite Jonas Kaufmann as Don José at the opening night of the La Scala season in a production conducted by D. Barenboim and staged by Emma Date. Since then she has debuted as Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Bayerische Staatsoper München, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, San Francisco Opera, Staatsoper Berlin, Seattle Opera, Teatro Regio in Turin, at the Arena di Verona, with the Canadian Opera Company.
In Netherlands, at the Concertgebouw, Ms. Rachvelishvili made her debut when she sang her first Dalila in a concert performance of Samson et Dalila. She also sang Dulcinée in Massenet’s Don Quichotte at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari. At the end of 2011 A. Rachvelishvili debuted at Carnegie Hall alongside with Angela Gheorghiu and Jonas Kaufmann as the Principessa di Bouillon in Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur. Other roles also include Isabella in Rossinis L’Italiana in Algeri at the Scala, and the title role in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Festival de Peralada I. Anita also sang Lyubasha in the new production of Rimsky Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride staged by Dmitry Cherniakov and conducted by Daniel Barenboim at Staatsoper Berlin.
Performances in the 2013/2014 season include Konschakowna in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Borodin’s Prince Igor which was the first time the company had performed this work since 1917. Anita also made her debut at the Teatro all’Opera di Roma as Carmen and performed the same role at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. Earlier in the season, she sang as Carmen at the Staatsoper Berlin and at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and at the Arena di Verona as Carmen and as Amneris in Aida.
The 2014/2015 season began with the title role of Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera and at the Teatro alla Scala as Carmen and for a new production of Aida led by Lorin Maazel. She sang as Amneris in Aida at the Rome Opera and gave a recital at the Mariinsky Theatre. Anita also performed the extraordinary Verdi Requiem at the Salzburg Easter Festival.
2016 season included her return to Teatro alla Scala in performances of Verdi Requiem, the Dutch National Opera in the role of Marfa in Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in the title role of Carmen, and her debut as Amneris in Aida at the Paris Opera.
His roles also include Paris Opera debut as Amneris in “Aida”, and Azucena in “Il Trovatore” at Covent Garden, “Samson et Dalila” in Berlin and Sao Paulo.
Lina Tetriani - opera singer, soprano (1977 -)
Lina Tetriani made her professional debut as Antonia Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Staatstheater Stuttgart, where Opernwelt hailed her as “one of Europe’s most exciting young talents.” Later, while a member of the ensemble at Oper der Stadt, Köln, Lina appeared as Micaela Carmen, Antonia, Mimi La Boheme, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni, Arminda La finta giardiniera, and sang a critically acclaimed Nedda in Christopher Alden’s production of I Pagliacci. She spent the 2003/04 season in Stein Winge’s new production of La Boheme for Norwegian Opera, alternating in performances of Mimi and Musetta.
Recent successes include her interpretation of the role of Lora in Wagner’s rarely heard first opera, Die Feen, under the baton of Marc Minkowski at Theatre du Chatelet, Paris. She returned to the Chatelet for Cronenberg and Shore’s world premiere of The Fly, and later, in the title role of Norma in a long-anticipated new production conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi, for which she was warmly received. Previous engagements include the role of Magda La Rondine and Violetta La Traviata at Sarasota Opera, and Kupava The Snow Maiden for Wexford Festival Opera.
Lina currently lives in Brooklyn (USA).
www.linatetriani.com
Ketevan Kemoklidze - opera singer (
Ketevan Kemoklidze (mezzo-soprano) studied at Tbilisi Conservatory and at Teatro alla Scala Academy. She is a winner of Placido Domingo's Operalia and other prestigious competitions. Ketevan has been invited to the world's leading stages: Teatro alla Scala, Covent Graden and Arena di Verona, as well as in Barcelona, Washington, Madrid, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Venice, Palermo, Graz, Toulouse, Turin, Parma, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Montpellier, Santiago, Leipzig, Basel, Thessaloniki, Bilbao and Ancona, and the Wexford and Macerata Festivals. She recently made her outstanding film debut in Carlos Saura’s "Don Giovanni".
www.KetevanKemoklidze.com
Nino Machaidze - opera singer, coloratura soprano (1983 -)
Nino Machaidze began piano and vocal lessons at a school affiliated with her hometown’s State Conservatory when she was seven. Once she “graduated” to the Conservatory itself, her talent developed so significantly that, at just 17, she was assigned Norina in Don Pasquale at Tbilisi’s Paliashvili Theatre. Two other important roles followed, Zerlina and Rosina.
Her successes in those three roles led to a crucial audition – for the world-renowned academy for young artists at La Scala. Chosen from among hundreds of competitors, Machaidze gratefully took every advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to refine her artistry. Living in Milan gave her complete ease in the Italian language, and her studies honed the bel canto style that is second nature in her performances today. After winning the 2006 Leyla Gencer Vocal Competition, she received an enormous challenge from La Scala – the title role of La fille du régiment. Her reprise of that portrayal at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma led to much “buzz” about a marvelous new soprano. Salzburg was then urgently needed to replace the pregnant Netrebko. A festival official was impressed by Machaidze’s Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi at La Scala under Riccardo Chailly, she was engaged as Juliette, and suddenly the pressure of a huge, potentially life-changing debut loomed large.
www.ninomachaidze.com/biography/
Tamar Iveri - opera singer, lyrical soprano (1971- )
She was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Her father was singer Avtandil Javakishvili who was also her first teacher. Tamar made her debut in 2011 at the La Scala in Milan, as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni under Daniel Barenboim. She has since performed with the Vienna State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra Bastille, at the Salzburg Festival. She has sung Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Vitellia in La clemenza di Tito, Elettra in Idomeneo, Elisabetta in Don Carlos, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Desdemona in Otello, Mimì in La bohème, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and the title roles in Adriana Lecouvreur and Suor Angelica.
Nino Surguladze - opera singer, mezzo soprano (1977 -)
N. Surguladze made her debut at the Gran Theatre de Liceu in Barcelona at the age of 22 as Sonjetka Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Her other roles at the Liceu have included Federica Luisa Miller opposite Samuel Ramey and Maddalena Rigoletto, a role she has also sung at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, and at the Teatro Real in Madrid (with Leo Nucci in the title role). Elsewhere in Spain, Nino had particular success as Dorabella (opposite Barbara Frittoli) at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia. In the UK, Olga and Dorabella Cosi fan Tutte at the Royal Opera House and Clara In Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery at the Glydnebourne Festival, for which she received wide critical acclaim. In Germany, she has also sung Sesto La Clemenza di Tito, Niklausse, Carmen, and Idamante in Hamburg and Polinesso and Ariodante in Ariodante in Frankfurt. Nino made her debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2009 as Sinaid in Moise et Pharaon (cond. Muti), a role she then sang in Rome. In Tokyo, Ms. Surguladze has sung Suzuki Madama Butterfly, Dorabella, and Carmen and, in the USA, Carmen in San Diego and Olga to great acclaim in Chicago.
www.ninosurguladze.com
Teona Dvali - opera singer, soprano (1984 -)
2002-2006 — has successfully finished the conservatoire under Vano Saradgishvili, the faculty of Music Theory (Bachelor’s Degree).
2003-2007 — has finished the faculty of Academic Singing in the same conservatoire (Bachelor’s Degree).
2007-2009 — has finished the faculty of Accademic Singing (Master’s Degree) in the same conservatoire.
2004 — has performed the part of the First Lady in W.A. Mozart’s opera “Tha Magic Flute” in the conservatoire of Tbilisi.
2005 — has performed the role of Pamina in the same opera of Mozart.
2007 — she has sung the part of Soprano in the vocal cycle of I. Brahms “Liebeslieder”.
2007 — has performed the three Madrigals for Soprano and five instruments of Alfred Shnitke on the modern Music Festival “Contra-point #1” in Tbilisi, Georgia.
2007 — sang the part of Violetta Valery in G. Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” in the Big Hall of the conservatoire of Tbilisi.
2008-2011 — has been a student of the World’s famous Soprano Renata Scotto on the courses of perfection “Opera Studio” in the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy.
2009 — performed the part of Violetta Valery in G. Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” at the National Opera House of Georgia.
2009 — has performed the part of Norina in the opera of G. Donizetti “Don Pasquale” at the Opera Theatre of Tbilisi, Georgia.
2010 — won the special prize for best performance of aria Belcanto on the First International singing competition of Arturo Toscanini, Manfredonia, Italy.
2010 — sang the part of Gilda in G. Verdi’s opera “Rigoletto” in the Theatre Traiano, Civitavecchia, Italy.
2010 — won the First prize in the International competition for singers and accompanists “Rolando Nicolosi”, Rome, Italy.
2010 — sang a concert on the Circle of Opera with Young Tenor Giordano Luca’ in Parma, Italy.
2011 — in February sang the role of Aspasia in the opera of W.A. Mozart “Mitridate, Re di Ponto” (“Mitridate, King of Ponto”) in the Theatre of Rustaveli, conductor — Gianluca Marciano, Tbilisi, Georgia.
2011 — in March sang the part of Aspasia in the opera of Mozart “Mitridate, Re di Ponto” at Al Bustan Festival in Beirut, Lebanon.
2011 — has made her debut as Gilda in the opera of G. Verdi “Rigoletto” at the Mariinsky Theatre, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
2011 — performed the part of Adina (has changed Anna Netrebko) in the opera of G. Donizetti “Elisir d’amore” the production of Laurent Pelly at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia.
2012 — performed the role of Lucia In the opera of G. Donizetti “Lucia Di Lammermoor” in the opera theatre of Batumi, Georgia.
2012 — participated in the concert with the orchestra of the Ravenna festival.
2013 — singing the role of the Spirit in Henry Percell’s opera “Dido and Eaneas” in the Theatre Ristori, Verona (conductor: Stefano Montanari).
2013 — has sung the role of Gilda in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Rigoletto” in Gdansk, Poland (Foundation of Arena di Verona), conductor: Massimiliano Caldi.
2013 — sung the role of Lucia in Gaetano Donizetti’s opera “Lucia Di Lammermoor” in the big hall of the Conservatoire of Tbilisi, Georgia.
2013 — sung three romances by Giuseppe Verdi with ballet in the Theatre Filarmonico, choreographer: Renato Zanella, Verona.
2013 — has sung two concerts of the Tribute to Giuseppe Verdi in Ravenna (Ravenna Festival) and Mirandola, conductor: Riccardo Muti.
2013 — sung concerts of “Cercando Verdi” with ballet at the Theatre Romano, choreographer: Renato Zanella, conductor: Julian Kovatchev, Verona, Italy.
www.facebook.com/Teona.Dvali.Soprano
Sofia Koberidze - opera singer, mezzo-soprano
Ms. Sofia Koberidze, mezzo-soprano, was born in Tbilisi (Georgia). He began studying piano as a child, graduating at the musical school in Tbilisi very young with the highest marks. Later he brilliantly graduated from singing "School of Talants", a preparatory school for entrance to the conservatory, and another diploma in hand from Dimitri Arakishvili Institute of Tbilisi, always with the highest marks. Later he began to study singing at the State Conservatory of Tbilisi where he received his undergraduate Singing first degree.
Following the assignment of the scholarship, he got a two-year diploma in second level at the Conservatory Vincenzo Bellini in Italy. She debuted in the role of the third lady in the "Magic Flute" and in the role of Cherubino in "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart at the Opera Studio of Tbilisi. She has performed in several concerts and recitals for the State Conservatory of Tbilisi. In June 2012 was the winner of the "International Contest Simone Alaimo" for which she debuted in the role of Maddalena in "Rigoletto" by G. Verdi in March of 2013. In April 2013 she was a finalist of the contest "Voices Lyrical 2013-O.M.E.G.A." In Florence. In July 2013 he made his debut as Rosina in the "Barber of Seville" alongside Simone Alaimo for "Opera Festival Mediterranea", which received great critical acclaim. In August 2013 he won first prize in the "Bel Canto Vocal Competition" in Austria, with the presence in commission of Christa Ludwig and Kirchlager Angelica, with whom he also won a masterclass.
In September 2013 he was in the "Bellini - Verdi -" the Ancient Theatre of Taormina Wagner Festival alongside Pero Giuliacci and Chiara Taigi. In October 2013 was a finalist in the International Singing Competition "Neue Stimmen" in Germany and made his debut with the role of Lola in "Cavalleria Rusticana" at the Rudolfinum in Prague, invited by ' "Umbria Music Festival." In March 2014 he made his debut at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa with the role of Marcellina in "Le Nozze di Figaro" and the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca with the role of Suzuki in "Madama Butterfly".He sang in "Westside Story" at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa directed by Wayne Marshall. In June 2014 he made his debut in the role of Rosina always at the Carlo Felice in Genoa, with director Filippo Crivelli.
Since September 2014 is part of dell'LTL Opera Studio, with here play the role of Rosina in the following theaters: Teatro Verdi in Pisa, Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Teatro Goldoni of Livorno and the Teatro Coccia in Novara. In November 2014 will be Laura in "Luisa Miller" by G. Verdi, Director Battistoni, at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa alongside Leo Nucci, who also will direct. Mozart always debuted in 2014 in "Requiem" in Zliín (Czech Republic) with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague. In 2015 he sang the role of Hänsel in the Hänsel und Gretel Opera production at the Teatro Regio in Turin; and Dorotea in the production StifFelio Opera by G. Verdi at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.