Press releases

MINSK, 5 December (BelTA) – Opera singers from 15 countries will take part in the gala concert of the eighth installment of the Minsk Christmas Opera Forum, Director of Belarus’ National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater Vladimir Gridyushko told a press conference in Minsk on 5 December, BelTA has learned.

The gala concert will bring together the best artists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, France and other countries and also the prizewinners of the International Christmas Singing Competition of the past editions

The gala concert will feature Tigran Oganyan (Armenia), Andrei Nemzer (Russia), Oleg Budaratsky (Russia), Nadezhda Pavlova (Russia), Igor Borko (Ukraine), Sundet Baigozhin (Kazakhstan), Azer Zeynalov (Azerbaijan), Ilham Nazarov (Azerbaijan), Afag Abbasova (Azerbaijan), Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva (Bulgaria), Helene Carpentier (France), Viktorija Miskunaite (Lithuania), Tatiana Busuioc (Moldova), Lasha Sesitashvili (Georgia), Hector Lopez Mendoza (Mexico). Conductors are Gianluca Marciano (Italy), Andrei Galanov.

The main idea of the forum is to show the premiere productions of the season. The forum will open with Mozart’s Die Zauberflote which premiered in March. Belarusian Nadine Koutcher, the winner of the 2015 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, two-time winner of the Russian Golden Mask Theatrical Award, will take on the role of the The Queen of the Night on 15 December.

Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana was premiered last theatrical season. Produced by chief director of the Bolshoi Theater Mikhail Pandzhavidze, Cavalleria Rusticana will be shown on 16 December. Honored Artist of Russia Akhmed Agadi (Mariinsky Theater) will appear in the role of Turridu.

Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic (Poland) will show the world’s most popular opera Carmen on 18 December. The cast will feature Belarusian opera diva Oksana Volkova (Carmen), soloists of the opera company of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic (Poland).

On 21 December the Belarusian Bolshoi Theater will premiere Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata staged by Latvian director Andrejs Zagars. Nadezhda Pavlova will sing as Violetta. The soloist of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater today, Nadezhda Pavlova won the hearts of the Belarusian public with her triumphant performance in the finale of the Minsk Vocal Singing Competition 2015. Last theatrical season Nadezha Pavlova became the guest soloist of the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus.

Tickets for the opera forum, which will be held in Minsk from 15 to 22 December, are almost sold, Vladimir Gridyushko said.

Bank BelVEB is the general partner of the Minsk Christmas Opera Forum. According to Chairman of the Board of Bank BelVEB Nikolai Luzgin, the bank seeks to support cultural and healthcare projects. BelVEB provided sponsorship assistance to the project to publish the 20-volume facsimile edition of Francysk Skaryna’s books. The bank also sponsors the Jazz Nights at Minsk Town Hall. According to Nikolai Luzgin, the cooperation with the Minsk International Christmas Singing Competition will be continued.

Lead soloist of the Belarusian Bolshoi Theater, Honored Artist of Belarus, holder of the state award of Belarus Oksana Volkova noted that the Minsk International Christmas Singing Competition is well-known outside Belarus. It will continue gaining popularity. The forum’s singing competition gives many young singers a chance to make a name, she noted.

Another participant of the press conference Nadine Koutcher also views the Minsk competition as a good opportunity for young opera vocalists to prove their worth. She said she intends to attend performances after her participation in the opera forum on 15 December.