On November 27, 2019, Saimir Pirgu will make his role debut as Faust in Gounod’s masterpiece, in a production by David McVicar and under the musical direction of maestro Guillaume Tourniaire, the first of a series of five productions running through December 7, 2019. He will sing alongside Maria Mudryak as Marguerite, Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Méphistophélès and Luke Gabbedy as Valentin.

Although this is his first appearance at the State Theatre, Arts Center Melbourne, the Albanian born Italian naturalized tenor made his Opera Australia debut in the 2016/2017 season, when he sang the role of the Shepherd in Karol Szymanowski’s King Roger at the Sydney Opera House. He will reprise the role of Faust later this season at the Zurich Opera. Gounod’s Faust is one of several roles of the French repertoire that Saimir Pirgu has recently added to his repertoire. Other French roles he made his debuts in include Berlioz’s Faust in La damnation de Faust at the Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, Don José in Carmen in Bangkok with the Teatro San Carlo conducted by Zubin Mehta and the title role of Werther at the New National Theatre of Tokyo.

Saimir Pirgu’s other upcoming engagements also include Rodolfo in La bohème at the Vienna State Opera, role debuts as Lenskij in Evgenij Onegin at the Rome Opera and as Amleto in Faccio’s homonymous opera at the Teatro Filarmonico Verona, the tenor soloist part in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem at the Rome Opera, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Royal Opera House London, Don José in Carmen at the Teatro San Carlo Naples, a Christmas Concert at the Taiwan National Taipei Theatre and Concert Hall and a Gala Concert at the Théâtre des Champs Élysées Paris.

Information about Faust for Opera Australia:

Faust: Saimir Pirgu; Marguerite: Maria Mudryak; Méphistophélès: Teddy Tahu Rhodes; Valentin: Luke Gabbedy; Siébel: Anna Dowsley; Marthe: Dominica Matthew; Wagner: Shane Lowrencev

Guillaume Tourniaire, conductor; David McVicar, stage director

Performances: November 27, 29; December 3, 5, 7, 2019

[Photo by Fadil Berisha]