George Gagnidze was interviewed by Alkis Karmpaliotis for the US publication Appreciate Opera. Below you will find a preview of the feature. To read the whole interview, you may click HERE.

“George Gagnidze is a renowned dramatic baritone celebrated for his powerful stage presence and commanding voice. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rigoletto in the 2008/09 season and has since sung nearly 150 performances there, including iconic roles such as Macbeth, Nabucco, Scarpia, Amonasro, and Tonio. Internationally, Gagnidze has performed at leading opera houses such as La Scala, the Wiener Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, the Royal Opera House, and the Staatsoper Berlin. His 2024/25 season includes appearances at the Met, the Opéra National de Paris, and debuts in Budapest, Catania, and Washington, D.C.

Born in Tbilisi, he trained at the State Conservatory and rose to prominence after winning the prestigious “Voci Verdiane” competition in 2005. Over the course of his career, Gagnidze has collaborated with world-renowned conductors and directors, including Daniel Barenboim, Gustavo Dudamel, James Levine, and Peter Stein. In 2021, he released his first solo album with Orfeo, which was nominated for an International Classical Music Award. His performances have been captured on acclaimed recordings, including Tosca (Metropolitan Opera), Aida (La Scala), and Nabucco (Arena di Verona).

Interview by Alkis Karmpaliotis

What are your earliest memories of music? When did you fall in love with opera and decide you wanted to pursue it professionally?

I was exposed to music very early, as my father was part of a male chorus in Georgia, a country with a wealthy choral tradition. A friend of my father from the choir heard me sing when I was a teen and suggested that I be sent to a real voice teacher, and that was the beginning. Also, a video of “L’elisir d’amore” with Pavarotti from the MET aired on Georgian TV. His voice and the opera, in general, fascinated me, which made me fall in love with the art form.

You have performed at the world’s top venues, from the Met to the Opéra National de Paris, in roles ranging from Rigoletto to Scarpia to Hollander. What roles would you define as “staples” of your career, and how have you developed your repertoire over time?

There are several roles I’d define as “signature roles” or “staples,” but at the very top, there is Rigoletto. I have sung over 110 performances of this Verdi masterpiece. This season, I sang it for my debut at the Teatro Massimo Bellini, and I will reprise it in May and June when I return to the Opéra Bastille in Paris. Also, Scarpia is a role I love singing, and I have been doing it a lot. I have over 100 performances, including almost 50 at the MET! The Italian repertoire has been the core of my roles, and I am particularly fond of Verdi. I’ve sung all of the Verdi baritone title roles and most of his other leading roles for my range, except a few of his early operas like Ezio in “Attila,” Carlo V in “Ernani” or Francesco Foscari in “I due Foscari.” But these titles are not performed so often. Two roles of the later Verdi I still haven’t performed and would love to do are Carlo di Vargas in “La forza del destino” and Conte di Luna in “Il trovatore”!

Read more HERE

[Photo by Dario Acosta]