Saimir Pirgu - Duke of Mantua
Born in Albania in 1981, acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, tenor Saimir
Pirgu's career has taken him to the most important music centers worldwide.
The most recent seasons have been marked by foremost successes all round the world,
amongst them: La Bohème at Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, The
Magic Flute at La Scala in Milan, La Traviata at the New
York Metropolitan and San Francisco Operas, at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples,
and also at the Bayerische Staatsoper, L'Elisir d'Amore at the
Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, as well as at the Vienna Staatsoper, La Clemenza
di Tito at the Paris National Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor with
the Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera and Hamburg Opera, Werther at
the National Opera in Tirana, Rigoletto at the Arena in Verona
and at the Zurich Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Bavarian State
Opera, Idomeneo at the Styriarte Festival in Graz, Macbeth at
the Maggio Musicale in Florence, Iolanta and Francesca da Rimini at
the Theater an der Wien, King Roger at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London.
Equally praised for his concert appearances, he is widely acknowledged for his interpretations
of the Verdi Requiem, foremost being at the Salzburg Festival and in
Chicago with Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic, at the Musikverein in Vienna
and in Munich with Mariss Jansons and the Orchestra of the Bayerische Rundfunk,
with Antonio Pappano and the Accademia of Santa Cecilia orchestra. Other notable
recent concert and symphonic engagements include: Rossini's La Petite Messe
Solennelle at the Musikverein in Vienna and at the Théâtre des Champas
Elysées in Paris with Daniele Gatti, the New Year's Concert 2013 at the Theater
La Fenice in Venice, Dvořák's Stabat Mater in Graz at the Styriarte
Festival with Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Berlioz's Messe Solennelle at
the Musikverein with Riccardo Muti and at the Vienna Philharmonic. Mr. Pirgu has
also been heard at the Auditorium Lingotto in Torino with Claudio Abbado, at the
Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with Peter Schneider.
In 2009, he was honored with the Franco Corelli Prize bestowed by the Theater of
the Muses in Ancona, for his interpretation of the role of Alfredo in La Traviata.
Plans include: L’Elisir d’Amore, Don Giovanni and a new
production of I Capuleti
e i Montecchi (under Marco Armiliato) at the Wiener Staatsoper; Don
Giovanni at the Arena in Verona Stefano Montanari conducting; Un Ballo
in Maschera in Tel Aviv under Zubin Mehta; Mozart’s Requiem at
the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Marc Albrecht conducting; Rigoletto in
Toulouse, Daniel Oren conducting; La Traviata at the Royal Opera House
in London and at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin; Falstaff in Chicago
with Riccardo Muti; new production of Madama Butterfly in Zurich; La
Bohème and Macbeth at the Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona; Lucia
di Lammermoor and La Clemenza di Tito in Toulouse;
revival of King Roger in Sydney. On the concert side Mr. Pirgu
will also sing Verdi’s Requiem in Paris and Luxembourg, Berlioz’ Requiem in
Vienna, and a gala concert at the Chorégies Orange.
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