Dear friends of the Birgitta FestivalIn keeping with the decision made by the Government of Estonia on 8 July, the 2021 Birgitta F...
Dear friends of the Birgitta Festival
In keeping with the decision made by the Government of Estonia on 8 July, the 2021 Birgitta Festival will be cancelled. Unfortunately, the global coronavirus pandemic has yet to recede, and the situation is regrettably deteriorating in Russia, the place of residence for several of this year’s festival’s artists and performers.
The safety and security of our audience is of prime importance to the festival organisers, which is why we understand the government's decision not to grant an exemption to artists from Russia.
We hope for your understanding and to see you in 2022!
Tickets purchased from sales points can be returned at all Piletilevi sales points, except Circle-K service stations and the Viru Keskus sales point.
PDF ticket holders will have their tickets automatically repurchased and repayments will be made to the ticket buyer's current account.
PLEASE NOTE! We are repurchasing tickets until 30 September 2021.
Dedicated to stage director Andrejs Žagars (1958–2019)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk State Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Stage director Andrejs Žagars
Music director Anatoli Chepurnoiy
Conductor Marius Stravinsky
Set designer Ivar Noviks
Costume designer Kristīne Pasternaka
Cast
The King of Egypt – Evgeny Sevastyanov
Amneris – Darja Ryabinko
Amonasro – Sergey Leiferkus
Aida – Elena Mikhailenko
Radamès – Mikhail Pirogov
Ramfis – Stanislav Shvets
A Messenger – Davit Yesayan
Voice of the High Priestess – Alena Kiskina
Aida by Giuseppe Verdi is one of the most monumental operas in the history of music. The opera was originally commissioned for the inauguration of the Suez Canal and that was premiered in Cairo Opera House in 1871 is still in the repertoires of opera theatres all around the world.
The opera is set at the times when Egypt was the most powerful countries of the East, during the dynasties of pharaohs in Memphis and Thebes. Verdi's opera is mainly focused on the inner fight of the protagonists, induced by the love triangle between imprisoned Ethiopian princess Aida, Egyptian sovereign's daughter Amneris and the general Radames. With its enchanting music with arias and choral scenes, Aida is a true gem for the audience.
Krasnoyarsk is the most eastern of the fifteen million cities in Russia, center of Mid- and East-Siberia. Despite its distant location on the world map the city has a thriving culture life. every season, local opera theatre premieres new directions of operas and ballets; also, Neeme Kuningas as a stage director has collaborated with the theatre during the past few years. Several famous opera singers come from Krasnoyarsk, for instance Dmitri Hvorostovsky after whom the opera theatre has been also named. Andrejs Žagars, Latvian actor, stage director and head of the opera theatre, was born in Latvian family in Krasnoyarsk. Žagars was a talented (film) actor, but his passion towards opera brought him to work with the music theatre. Žagars has also collaborated with the Estonian National Opera where he directed Puccini's Manon Lescaut in 2011. He directed Verdi's Aida in Krasnoyarsk State Theatre of Opera and Ballet in 2014 – the very performance will be also held in Birgitta festival. With the opera performance, Birgitta festival pays homage to Andrejs Žagars.
The main role of „Aida“ is performed by Yelena Mikhailenko, a soloist at Helikon-Opera Theatre, Moscow, whose repertoire includes more than 30 prestigious soprano roles. In Helikon-Opera, Mikhailenko's debut role was Katerina Izmailova in Shostakovich's opera „Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District“ fifteen years ago; a few years later, she performed „Aida“ that she has also successfully sung in Opéra de Massy, France.
Mezzo-soprano Daria Ryabinko will perform the role of Amneris in Verdi's „Aida“ and the role of Olga in Tchaikovsky's „Eugene Onegin“. Her collaboration with Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre began already during her music studies. Ryabinko has performed in international opera festivals as well as taken part in the European tours with the cast of Tatar State Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Tenor Mikhail Pirogov will perform the protagonist's role of Radamès. Pirogov's singer career started at Buryatia Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and Saratov Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. He has performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and it is his fourth season to work as the soloist of Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Sergei Leiferkus, one of the top baritones in the world, will perform the role of Aida's father King Amonasro of Ethiopia. For more than a few decades, Leiferkus has been welcome to perform in the best opera houses all over the world, including Metropolitan Opera in New York, Royal Opera House in London, Vienna State Opera, Milano La Scala, Teatri Colóni in Buenos Aires, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg etc. Leiferkus has been collaborating with the top orchestras and conductors all over the world.
The opera is conducted by Marius Stravinsky, born in Alma-Ata, Russia. Stravinsky is collaborating with renowned orchestras in the UK, Germany, Australia and Japan as well as with the best collectives in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Marius Stravinsky is the founder and the conductor of St. Petersburg Festival Orchestra and he is regularly conducting performances at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
