Co Founder of Teatro Lirico D'Europa and current General Manager/Artistic Director, Gueorgui Lalov (Giorgio) was born in Telesh, Bulgaria, in June, 1958.  His father, "Lalo", a doctor, and his mother, Stoiyanka, an elementary school teacher and Bulgarian folk singer, were educated patrons of the arts.  When Lalo Lalov died, Giorgio was only nine years old, but because he was an excellent student, he had the good fortune to be accepted at an elite boarding school in the capital city of Bulgaria where all the lessons were taught in French.  When he graduated from high school in 1976, he was fluent in French and English.  That fall he entered the Bulgarian National Academy of Music and went on tour throughout Italy with a choir from the University.  While in Milan, he auditioned for the famous International School for Young Opera Singers at La Scala.  He was accepted, and went on to make his operatic debut at La Scala at the age of 25.  After living in Italy for a short time, Lalov became fluent in Italian.  In 1986, while on tour with an opera company in France, he met his future business partner, Yves Josse, a former ballet dancer who was booking opera and ballet tours.  The two hit it off.  Giorgio had many resources.  He spoke several languages, he was able to organize the creation of sets and costumes in Bulgaria and he put together an excellent orchestra and chorus.  He also knew many fine opera singers in Bulgaria, Central Europe, and the USA.  By 1988, Josse and Lalov were collaborating on what was to become the most successful opera touring company in Europe.  At the time of Josse's death in 1995, Teatro Lirico was presenting over 250 performances a season throughout Europe.  In 1990, Lalov established the Sofia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.  Since that time, it has been the exclusive orchestra and chorus for Teatro Lirico D'Europa's productions worldwide.  Winter 2000 marked Teatro's first major American tour.  The rest is history.  The reviews from the nine tours Teatro Lirico D'Europa has completed thus far in the US speak for the high quality and consistency of the company.  The fact that the company is able to tour with many different productions within one tour is an indication of the Mr. Lalov’s very hard work, excellent organizational skills and unfailing dedication to the art of opera. 

"I'm not alone in hoping that Giorgio Lalov, the talented opera singer turned creator of Teatro Lirico D'Europa stays happy and healthy and continues to bring us such magnificent productions.  We can only hope to see more from this company in years to come." -- Illinois Times, Ann Kerr

 Teatro Lirico D'Europa, the European opera touring company formed in 1988 by Giorgio Lalov, a former Bulgarian opera singer, has completed over 3,000 performances worldwide and 10 US tours. The popular company embarks on its 11th American tour in the winter of 2007 with 60 performances of several different full-scale operas, including a traditional version of Puccini's final masterpiece, TURANDOT. This will be the 3rd US tour during which Teatro Lirico D'Europa has presented TURANDOT, but this year all the costumes and the sets for this lavish production will be completely new. The tour will travel to the most outstanding venues across the U.S. Soloists for its productions will come from the Bolshoi Opera, The Prague State Opera, The Kirov Opera, The Sofia National Opera, the New York City Opera and The Metropolitan Opera. Teatro Lirico holds the distinction of being the only European opera touring company in history to have its own season of opera in a US city with its own subscription series. The popular company has produced over 15 full-scale operas at the historic Majestic Theatre in Boston since winter 2000 and now presents 10 - 12 performances per season there, many of them sold out. Visit our website for an in-depth history of Teatro Lirico D'Europa including hundreds of U.S. reviews, video clips, and large photo gallery - www.jennykellyproductions.com