Hibla Gerzmava and José Cura Caused a Sensation at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory

This was one of those concerts that felt truly historic: great artists on stage, flawless performances, an outstanding orchestra and a storm of applause at the finale. It was also dedicated to the memory of Zurab Sotkilava, which made the evening even more significant.

The stars of the academic music world took the stage: Hibla Gerzmava, Argentine tenor José Cura and the Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniele Callegari.

It was difficult not to see the evening as a series of remarkable coincidences. At its centre was Verdi’s Otello. Hibla Gerzmava made her debut as Desdemona at the Metropolitan Opera in 2016. In 2018, she performed the role at the Semperoper in Dresden alongside José Cura as Otello, conducted by Daniele Callegari. It was after that performance that Gerzmava came up with the idea of performing Otello with Cura in Moscow, this time in concert form.