On June 17, 2018 Saimir Pirgu will sing the role of the Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, in a production by Árpád Schilling conducted by Maestro Daniele Callegari, the first of a series of three performances running through June 24, 2018. He will share the stage with Markus Brück in the title role, Rosa Feola as Gilda and Andrea Mastroni as Sparafucile.

Saimir Pirgu is on record as saying that the Duca di Mantova is one of his most important roles: “Yes, it is a high profile role that virtually all the most important tenors have sung: technically it is difficult, long and full of pitfalls. It is a role as complex as it is satisfying, and in my view the one that fully shows the qualities of a tenor. The most arduous part is the Act II cavatina and cabaletta: the tenor must have an excellent control of his instrument that will allow him to fluently perform it without the audience noticing the challenges of the aria itself.”

Already announced upcoming engagements for Saimir Pirgu include more performances of Rigoletto at the Teatro San Carlo Naples, Théâtre des Champs Élysées Paris and Philharmonie Luxembourg, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Teatro San Carlo Naples, Verdi’s Messa da Requiem at the Auditorium RAI Turin, Alfredo in La traviata in a new staging at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées Paris, and a tour in Thailand conducted by Maestro Zubin Mehta.

Information about Rigoletto at the Bavarian State Opera:

Rigoletto: Markus Brück; Gilda: Rosa Feola; Duca di Mantova: Saimir Pirgu; Sparafucile: Andrea Mastroni; Maddalena: Alisa Kolosova; Monterone: Kristof Klorek; Marullo: Andrea Borghini; Borsa: Manuel Günther; Il Conte di Ceprano: Christian Rieger; La Contessa di Ceprano: Paula Iancic; Usciere: Oleg Davydov; Paggio: Alyona Abramowa.

Daniele Callegari, conductor; Árpád Schilling, director

Performances: June 17, 20, 24, 2018

[Photo by Paul Scala]