TRIBUTE TO LUCIANO PAVAROTTI

On January 23, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory hosted a special concert dedicated to one of the most celebrated opera singers of all time, Luciano Pavarotti. Performed by the young and talented tenor David Sanikidze, widely known for his appearances on television projects, the program featured famous arias and songs from the legendary Pavarotti’s repertoire.

The program included musical masterpieces from operas by Giacomo Puccini, Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Giuseppe Verdi, as well as popular hits by Ernesto de Curtis, Eduardo di Capua, Francesco Paolo Tosti, and other composers. The concert was accompanied by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alexey Chuikov.

“Tenorissimo,” “the King of High C,” “Italian through and through” — Luciano Pavarotti was given many names, all acknowledging his extraordinary talent and unmistakable individuality. With his incredible “sunny” timbre and virtuosic vocal technique, he conquered the world’s greatest stages and became the most sought-after opera singer of his generation.

Pavarotti revolutionized the world of classical music by pushing the boundaries of the genre, while his voice became one of the most recognizable in the history of recorded music. Truly passionate about music, he was never afraid to experiment — his performances with Liza Minnelli, Bryan Adams, Mariah Carey, as well as the bands Queen and U2, are just a few examples.

Lightness, generosity, extraordinary musicality, and charisma characterized every one of his performances. It made no difference whether he was singing the aria “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot, which became one of Pavarotti’s signature pieces, or Neapolitan songs such as “O Sole Mio.” He had a unique ability to transform classical arias into hits that attracted hundreds of thousands of listeners to his concerts.

“I am a major-key person,” Pavarotti told journalists during his final visit to Moscow in 2003. “For me, life is always half full, never half empty. And it’s the same in music — always major.” He lived and created with this joyful outlook, and it is precisely these emotions that the concert Tribute to Luciano Pavarotti will share with its audience.

The arias and songs from the great Italian tenor’s repertoire will be performed by the gifted singer David Sanikidze, a student of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and a participant in television projects on Channel One. As renowned singer Pelageya once said of him, David’s voice is a “true diamond,” and concertgoers will have the opportunity to discover this for themselves.

The concert will be accompanied by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (MSSO), founded in 1989. In summer 2017, pianist and conductor Ivan Rudin was appointed Artistic Director of the MSSO by the Moscow Department of Culture.

Under its new leadership, the orchestra underwent significant changes: its ensemble was renewed, its repertoire was considerably expanded, and collaborations with leading Russian and international performers began. Today, the orchestra’s repertoire encompasses masterpieces of Russian and international classical music, as well as works by contemporary composers.

Music critics highly praise the ensemble’s artistry, musical culture, stylistic sensitivity, outstanding ensemble skills, and the artistic quality of its interpretations.