Hibla Gerzmava


Hibla Gerzmava is an Abkhazian-Russian operatic soprano who currently resides in Moscow.

Education and career

Gerzmava graduated from the Moscow State Conservatory in 1994, and completed its post-graduate course in 1996. Since 1995 she has been a soloist of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre.
Gerzmava has performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Teatro Comunale di Firenze, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the National Opera and Ballet in Sofia and the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan.
In 2008 Gerzmava made her Covent Garden debut as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin. Her voice being described as clear and focused, yet also full of colour and with a reservoir of power that enables her to ride the biggest fortes like a surfer on a wave.
In the winter of 2009, Gerzmava performed for the first time the role of Lucia in the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre.
In September–October 2010, Gerzmava made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the parts of Stella and Antonia in Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, and in November–December 2011 she went back there to sing Mimi in Franco Zeffirelli's production of La bohème.
Gerzmava made her triumphal debut on the stage of Palais Garnier at the Opéra National de Paris as Vitellia in Willy Decker's production of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito in September in October 2011. She also sang at the BBC Proms Opening Night in July 2011 in Janáček's Glagolithic Mass conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek and took part in the Mariinsky Theatre's tour to Japan in February 2011, performing the part of Liù in Puccini's Turandot at the NHK Hall in Tokyo.
In the season of 2012–13, Gerzmava appeared in Simon Boccanegra at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and in Turandot at Metropolitan Opera.
In October 2013 she performed the original version of Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass on the Opening Concert of the 118th Season of the Czech Philharmonic with its principal conductor Jiří Bělohlávek.
In 2014 Gerzmava appeared in Don Giovanni at the Wiener Staatsoper as Donna Anna, sang soprano part in Verdi's Requiem at the Birmingham Symphony Hall and London’s Royal Festival Hall, by the Chorus and Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia of Rome conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, made her debut at the Oper Frankfurt as Donna Anna of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and took part in Leoš Janáček's Glagolitic Mass in the 68th Edinburgh International Festival.
Gerzmava took part in the closing ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games that took place at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi. She has sung the Olympic Valse song that was performed alongside the Children’s Chorus of Russia, conducted by Valery Gergiev.
2015 started for Gerzmava with a series of performances in New York, at the Metropolitan Opera, where she was singing the role of Antonia in Offenbach’s Les contes d'Hoffmann, alongside Vittorio Grigolo, Kate Lindsey and Thomas Hampson. The world Metropolitan Opera Live in HD of the performance was broadcast on January 31.

Festival

The festival was born in 2001. On a stage of Pitsunda Cathedral and the Abkhazian State Philharmonic acted Elena Obraztsova, Vladimir Spivakov, Ildar Abdrazakov, pianist Denis Matsuev, Deborah Brown, Daniel Kramer's trio, Yakov Okun, Felix Korobov, the Kazan state orchestra "La Primavera" and other known Russian collectives. The presenter of many concerts within the bounds of festival was Svyatoslav Belza.
The eighth festival of classical music has passed In September, 2009. It has been dedicated to anniversary of the well-known writer Fazil Iskander. The festival "Hibla Gerzmava invites" is in a great favour, concerts are sold out for every performance, never disappoint public and give to listeners a wonderful energy.
In year 2014 for the first time the Festival was running in Moscow. The Festival has started with the Opera. Jazz. Blues improvisation program at the Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre. The opening ceremony of the Festival featured a number of surprises. For example, Ara Karapetyan, managing director of the Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre, has appeared as pianist to accompany Gerzmava in Rosina's aria from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia. He demonstrated a wonderful example how masterfully the opera can be transformed into the jazz.
The Festival featured of other concerts that took place at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Verdi's Requiem performed by the State Symphony Orchestra of Tatarstan under Alexander Sladkovsky and the program Viva L'Opera! with tenor Badri Maisuradze
In year 2015 the Festival Gala concert Hibla Gerzmava invites.... will take place in Vienna Musikverein on April 30, alongside bass-baritone Ildebrando D'Arkandgelo tenor Yusif Eyvazov soprano Hibla Gerzmava accompanied by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Spivakov featuring excerpts from operas by Italian composers

Repertoire

Gerzmava took part in the international tours of the Stanislavsky Opera and has toured Sweden, France, Holland, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Greece, the United States, Japan and Turkey. She participated in the Ludwigsburg Festival in 2002 and 2003, singing the part of Eva in The Creation by Joseph Haydn and the part of the Angel in Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo by Emilio de' Cavalieri.

Recognitions and awards

1993
1994
2001
2006
2010
2012
2014