Hibla Gerzmava

Hibla Gerzmava has established herself as one of the most sought after sopranos of her generation, having received critical acclaim at such theaters as the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Rome Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Semperoper Dresden, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, and at the Bolshoi Theatre and Stanislavsky Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre in Moscow, where she resides. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory’s Vocal Department, Hibla Gerzmava’s professional breakthrough came in 1994 when she was awarded the Grand Prix at the Tchaikovsky International Competition, becoming the first and only vocalist in the competition’s history to be honored in this way. Since 1995, Gerzmava has been a soloist of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovsly-Danchenko Musical Theatre in Moscow. In the first part of her career, she sang such roles as Donna Anna in »Don Giovanni«, the title role in »Lucia di Lammermoor«, Mimì in »La Bohème«, Adina in »L’elisir d’amore«, Violetta in »La Traviata«, and the three heroines – Antonia, Olympia and Giulietta – in »Les Contes d'Hoffmann«. Gerzmava made her Covent Garden debut in 2008 as Tatyana in »Eugene Onegin« and subsequently returned there as Mimì and Liù in »Turandot«. In 2010, her performance as the title role in »Lucia di Lammermoor« at the Stanislavsky Theatre brought her the highest Russian theatrical award, the Golden Mask, as well as the Casta Diva Critics Award and Moscow Government Award for achievement and contribution to the world of arts and culture. That same year, Gerzmava made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Stella and Antonia in »Les Contes d’Hoffmann« and was praised by the New York Times as »the warm-voiced soprano with affecting poise and strong-willed intensity«. Gerzmava made her debut in Rome as Mimì in »La Bohème« and returned to the Metropolitan Opera in this role and as Donna Anna in »Don Giovanni«. She also sang Donna Anna in Vienna and Munich and appeared at the Opéra National de Paris as Vitellia in »La Clemenza di Tito«, the role of her actual Vienna State Opera debut. In recent seasons, Hibla Gerzmava has begun to add spinto soprano roles to her repertoire. She sang Amelia Grimaldi in »Simon Boccanegra« at Covent Garden in 2013 and subsequently appeared as Elisabetta di Valois in the four-act Italian version of »Don Carlos« at the Bolshoi in 2016 and in the original 1867 French version in five acts at the Opéra National de Paris in 2017. Gerzmava sang her first Desdemona in »Otello« at the Metropolitan Opera in the spring of 2016 to sensational acclaim. She then appeared in the role at both the Opéra National de Paris and for her debut at the Semperoper Dresden. Gerzmava made her debut at the Teatro alla Scala and role debut in the title role of »Anna Bolena« in 2017, her Zürich Opera debut and first Leonora in a new production of »La Forza del Destino« in 2018, and her first Leonora in »Il Trovatore« for her debut at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 2019. Her performance of the title role in Cherubini's »Médée« at the Stanislavsky Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre won her another Golden Mask award, and it is there, in her artistic home, where she will sing her first Aida in the fall of 2020.