Tenor, Igor BORKO (DUKE OF MANTUA)

The beautiful color of the young Ukrainian tenor's voice and his style of emoting feeling are a pleasure.  He impresses with clean diction, a sure technique, exact phrasing and hi-fidelity performance.  A gifted actor and first-class singer, he was educated at the. Tschaikovsky Conservatory in Kiev, Ukraine.  He has participated in master-classes with Professor Renata Faltin and vocal study with Furelli Carmen-Forti (La Scala.)  Mr. Borko is currently a principal soloist at the State-Opera Kiev and has numerous guest-appearances with opera companies throughout Russia, Poland, Romania, The Czech Republic, Netherlands, France and Spain.  His repertoire includes mainly the Italian, French and of course Russian literature.  Mr. Borko performed with Teatro Lirico on its winter 2006 US tour as Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA and Rodolfo in LA BOHEME and returns this season as Edgardo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR plus more Rodolfos and the Duke in RIGOLETTO. 
 
 

Baritone Theodore LAMBRINOS (RIGOLETTO) 

Described as "A true Verdi baritone" by OPERA NEWS, American Gary Simpson is equally at home in the Wagnerian repertoire.  Recent engagements include Amonasro in Verdi's AIDA with both Orlando Opera and at the State Theater in Prague where he also sang the title role in Verdi's RIGOLETTO.  At Hawaii Opera Theater, he sang Iago in OTELLO and the title role in THE FLYING DUTCHMAN.  At Seattle Opera he stepped in on short notice to sing Amfortas in a broadcast performance of Wagner's PARSIFAL.  He made his Berlin debut at the Deutsche Opera singing Scarpia in the 300th performance of the Goetz Friedrich TOSCA.  This season he returns to Seattle Opera for Tonio in I PAGLIACCI and will sing the title role of FALSTAFF in Hagen, Germany.  Later, he is scheduled to sing Scarpia in a concert version of TOSCA with Deborah Voigt.  Simpson has sung RIGOLETTO with Tulsa Opera as well as in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Ottawa, Canada.  He has interpreted MACBETH for Kansas City Lyric Opera and for Opera Hong Kong.  He has sung NABUCCO in Pretoria, South Africa and Iago in OTELLO with Minnesota Opera.  He also took part in the first performance of DON CARLO in Shanghai, China conducted by John Nelson.  He has sung CARMINA BURANA with the West Virginia Symphony and SWEENEY TODD with Toledo Opera.  Mr.  Simpson performed with Teatro Lirico in Europe in the early 1990s and is rejoining Teatro Lirico after almost 15 years.  He will perform the roles of RIGOLETTO, Enrico in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Sharpless in MADAMA BUTTERFLY and Marcello in LA BOHEME with the company on its fall 2006 and winter 2007 U.S. tours.  Other companies with which Mr. Simpson has appeared include: Los Angeles Opera, Palm Beach Opera, L'Opera de Montreal, the festival at Gars, Austria, Opera Orchestra of New York, Opera Fresno, Malta-Gozo Opera and Opera Omaha. 

Baritone Vytautas JUOZAPAITIS (RIGOLETTO) 

Mr. Lambrinos’ career encompasses 60 major baritone roles that he has performed at the Metropolitan Opera and other opera companies throughout the United States and internationally.  His powerful voice and compelling stage presence make him one of the finest Verdi baritones appearing before the public today.  His appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of RIGOLETTO was described by the New Jersey Star Ledger as a “gripping performance that brought down the house” and he was hailed as the “Metropolitan Opera’s A-Team.”  In Beijing he received ovations for his “compelling and faithful portrayal of the complex character,” (China Daily) and he was also honored to present this role in the historical first-ever performance of opera in Hanoi, Vietnam.  Mr. Lambrinos created the role of Carlo Tresca in the world premiere of Anton Coppola's magnificent opera SACCO AND VANZETTI for Opera Tampa.  For the New York Grand Opera Verdi Festival in Central Park he performed the leading baritone roles in OBERTO, NABUCCO, ERNANI, MACBETH, Ford in FALSTAFF, and the original versions of SIMON BOCCANEGRA and LA FORZA DEL DESTINO.  He performed the role of Roger in the New York premiere of Verdi’s JERUSALEM at Carnegie Hall; Germont in LA TRAVIATA with the Arizona Opera, the four villains in TALES OF HOFFMANN with Nevada Opera; Amonasro in AIDA, and NABUCCO with Opera Quebec and fifty performances of Emile de Beque in SOUTH PACIFIC in Auckland, New Zealand.  He has performed over 100 performances of RIGOLETTO, NABUCCO, AIDA and TOSCA with the European touring company Opera 2001 throughout Spain, France, Portugal, and Denmark.  He has also traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and Far East performing in opera productions and orchestral concerts throughout China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, India, Kuwait, Egypt, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Africa.  Recent performances include RIGOLETTO with Opera Delaware and Jack Rance in FANCIULLA DEL WEST with Opera Tampa.  He will return to Opera Tampa to recreate the role of Carlo Tresca in SACCO AND VANZETTI, and will sing more RIGOLETTOs with Gold Coast Opera, and LUCIA and MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Teatro Lirico d’Europa.  He is currently touring with his wife, international soprano Hallie Neill, in their original scripted musical JEANETTE MACDONALD & NELSON EDDY – A HOLLYWOOD LOVE STORY.  Mr. Lambrinos is artistic director of the Bel Canto Quartet of New York and will appear in opera and Broadway concerts throughout Asia. 

Tenor Evgeni AKIMOV (DUKE OF MANTUA)

The Russian tenor was born in St.  Petersburg and graduated from the Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory of Music in 1991.  He was a second prize winner in the First International Vocal Competition in St. Petersburg (1994) and is currently a member of the Mariinsky Theatre.  He has appeared with them on tour in many different countries, including performances at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC and Covent Garden.  Mr. Akimov has also performed with the San Francisco Opera and was recently a guest artist at Teatro Regio in Torino, Italy and Covent Garden.  He has performed with Teatro Lirico D'Europa on tour in the U.S. since winter 2005 with great success in such roles as Rodolfo in LA BOHEME, Edgardo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR and Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA.  This season he will add Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY and the Duke in RIGOLETTO to his roles with Teatro Lirico. 

Basso Mikhail KOLELISHVILI (SPARAFUCILE)

Russian bass Mikhail Kolelishvili is a member of the Kirov Opera.  He was born in Moscow on 22 February, 1974, and graduated from the V. Saradzhishvili State Conservatory, Tbilisi, Georgia with a master's degree in vocal performance.  In 1997 he became a soloist at the Tbilisi State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.  Two years later he was a Laureate of the Republic Vocal Competition "Georgia-Tbilisi" and the next year he joined the Young Opera Singers' Academy of the Maryinski Theater.  He won first prize at the Rimsky-Korsakov Fifth International Competition for Young Opera Singers in 2002 and was a top prize winner in the Third International E. Obraztsova Competition for Young Opera Singers in 2003.  In 2004, he won the Monyushko Competition in Warsaw, Poland, as well as the Adamo Didur Prize for Bass.  The following year he was a finalist in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in the United Kingdom.  His repertoire includes all the bass roles in the Mozart and Verdi operas as well as Khan Koncha in Borodin's PRINCE IGOR, King Rene in Tchaikovsky's IOLANTA and the Tsar in Rimsky-Korsakov's THE TALE OF TSAR SALTAN.  He is making his American debut with Teatro Lirico D'Europa and Mozart Festival Opera on their 2006-2007 US tours. 
 

Baritone Hristo SARAFOV (MARULLO) 

Mr. Sarafov has been active on the stage for his entire adult life as a soloist in operetta, opera and as an actor.  The talented baritone graduated from the National Academy of Music in Sofia and was immediately engaged by the Sofia National Opera for the role of Bartolo in Rossini's IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA.  He has performed for many years with the Sofia National Opera and has staged hundreds of performances for Teatro Lirico D'Europa. 

Soprano Melody ALESI (GILDA) 

American Soprano Melody Alesi is a native New Yorker who studied primarily with her mother, Sandra Alesi Giambalvo.  She was recently described by an opera critic as "possessing a distinctive voice, she is an artist who takes the stage with style and intelligence and possesses the charisma of a world class opera star."  Ms. Alesi is a lyric coloratura, specializing in the Bel Canto repertoire of Verdi, Donizetti, and Bellini.  She recently triumphed with the Hong Kong Opera as Marguerite in FAUST.  Equally at home in contemporary opera, 2007 will mark her debut in Anton Coppola's opera SACCO AND VANZETTI with the Tampa Opera.  Ms. Alesi was presented at the prestigious Bel Canto at Caramoor Festival where she sang the role of Luisa Miller under Maestro Will Crutchfield as well as numerous recitals with Composer/pianist Joseph Turrin.  2003 marked her debut with Teatro Lirico D'Europa in the role of Gilda in Verdi's RIGOLETTO.  She performed the role of Violetta with Teatro Lirico on their winter 2004 U.S. tour and recently performed the role of Violetta for Teatro Lirico at L'Atrium Theatre on the island of Martinique.  She will perform more Gildas with the company on the 2006-2007 season as well as Lucia in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, and she will perform the role of Donna Anna in Mozart Festival Opera's DON GIOVANNI. 

Soprano Larissa YUDINA (GILDA) 

The beautiful young Russian soprano was a top prizewinner at the International Diaghilev Young Opera Singers' Competition (1997, Perm) and the International Rimsky-Korsakov Vocalists' Competition (1998 and 2000, St Petersburg).  She was a recipient of the Elena Obraztsova special prize at the IV International Elena Obraztsova Young Opera Singers' Competition (2005, St Petersburg) as well as a diploma from the Russian Ministry of Culture for best performance at the Maryinsky Theatre in the 2000-2001 season.  She was nominated for a Golden Mask, Russia's highest theatre prize, in 2006 for "best female role" in Rossini's opera IL VIAGGIO A REIMS (as the Contessa di Folleville).  Born in Perm, she graduated from the Perm School of Music with a diploma in vocal arts and choral conducting and entered the St. Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in 1997.  She has been a principal soloist with the Maryinsky Theatre since 1998.  Her first roles at the Maryinsky Theatre were as Rosina (Rossini's IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA) and Olympia (Offenbach's LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN) At the Maryinsky Theatre she has performed the following roles: the Queen of Shemakha (THE GOLDEN COCKEREL), the Nightingale (LE ROSSIGNOL), Cleopatra (LA CLEOPATRA), Rosina (IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA), the Contessa di Folleville (IL VIAGGIO A REIMS), Oscar (UN BALLO IN MASCHERA), Gilda (RIGOLETTO), Olympia (LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN), the Bird (SIEGFRIED) and Zerbinetta (ARIADNE AUF NAXOS).  Her repertoire also includes: Lyudmila (RUSLAN AND LYUDMILA), Snegurochka (THE SNOW MAIDEN), Amina (LA SONNAMBULA), the Queen of the Night (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE), Konstanze (DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL), Mme. Herz (DER SCHAUSPIELDIREKTOR), Armida (ARMIDA E RINALDO), Semiramida (SEMIRAMIDA), Norina (DON PASQUALE), Ophelia (HAMLET), Dinorah (DINORAH), Leila (LES PÊCHEURS DES PERLES), Violetta (LA TRAVIATA) and Musetta (LA BOHEME).  At the Stars of the White Nights Festival she performed in IL VIAGGIO A REIMS under Valery Gergiev and in Verdi's RIGOLETTO (Gilda).  Ms. Yudina has toured throughout Russia, the UK, France, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the USA, Denmark, Canada, Italy and Estonia, and taken part in festivals in Germany, Finland and Estonia.  In Graz (Austria) she performed the role of Cleopatra in Jonathan Miller's production of Cimarosa's LA CLEOPATRA, which was premiered as part of the Graz-European City of Culture 2003 programme.  In 2006 she performed the role of Lucia (Donizetti's LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR) and the Queen of the Night (Mozart's DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE) with Teatro Lirico D'Europa and Mozart Festival Opera on its winter 2006 U.S. tour to outstanding critical acclaim.  She returns to the U.S. for the fall 2006 and winter/spring 2007 tours of Teatro Lirico and Mozart Festival Opera for more Queen of the Nights in MAGIC FLUTE, Gilda in Verdi's RIGOLETTO and the title role of LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR.  She has worked with conductors including Valery Gergiev, Gianandrea Noseda, Boris Gruzin, Constantine Orbelian and Steven White. 

Mezzo soprano Viara ZHELEZOVA (MADDALENA) 

The young Bulgarian mezzo soprano graduated from the National Conservatory of Music in 1985 and joined the roster of the Bulgarian National Opera, where she has performed leading mezzo soprano roles alongside such singers as Ghena Dimitrova, Nicolai Giuselev, Anna Tomova Sintova and others.  She has appeared as a guest artist with opera companies throughout Eastern Europe and has been a principal soloist with Teatro Lirico D'Europa since 1992.  She has enjoyed a huge success with Teatro Lirico on tour in the U.S. as Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and with the Czech Opera Prague as Prince Orlofsky in its lavish DIE FLEDERMAUS production. 

CONDUCTOR Krassimir TOPOLOV

The young Bulgarian maestro received his musical education in Vienna, Austria.  In addition to conducting hundreds of performances for Teatro Lirico D'Europa on tour in central Europe, he is a frequent guest conductor with opera companies in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries. 

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/STAGE DIRECTOR Giorgio LALOV

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 averaging over 250 performances a season throughout Europe.  In 1990 Lalov established the Sofia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.  Since that time, it has been the orchestra and chorus for all of 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 U.S. speak for the high quality and consistency of the company.  The fact that the company is able to tour with many different productions is an indication of the very hard work, excellent organizational skills and unfailing dedication to the art of opera of Mr. Lalov and Jenny Kelly Productions. 

  "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 9 US tours.  The popular company embarks on its 8th season of touring in American in fall 2006 and winter/spring 2007 with over 80 performances of several different full-scale operas, including a traditional version of Verdi's RIGOLETTO.  The tour will travel to the most outstanding venues across the U.S.  Soloists for the productions were chosen from auditions held in major cities around the world.  They are all seasoned professionals in the midst of major operatic careers.  Teatro Lirico holds the important distinction of being the only European opera touring company to present an annual season of opera in a U.S.  theatre with its own subscription series.  Since winter 2000, the popular company has presented over 15 different opera productions at the historic Majestic Theatre in Boston.  The company currently performs there 10-12 times per year to many sold out audiences.  Visit the web site of JENNY KELLY PRODUCTIONS for an in-depth history of Teatro Lirico D'Europa including hundreds of U.S. reviews, video clips, and a large photo gallery - www.jennykellyproductions.com