Biografia
With debuts and regular guest engagements in new productions with top conductors on the most important international operatic platforms in Europe and Japan already
at the age of 28, tenor Saimir Pirgu is emerging as one of the most sought-after lyric tenors on the current opera scene.
On the occasion of his Salzburg Festival debut in 2004 as Ferrando, Jay Nordlinger of the New York Sun wrote: Fulfilling that promise, Saimir Pirgu has been invited in recent years to appear in high-profile productions, most recently in the role of Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac opposite Placido Domingo at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris (cond. Patrick Fourniller). The artist made his Los Angeles Opera debut last fall in the role of Rinuccio in the newWoody Allen production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi conducted by James Conlon.
In summer 2008, Pirgu's appearance in the title role of Idomeneo under the baton of Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Styriarte Festival in Austriawasmetwith enormous critical success,where he was described by the European press as a "sensation, with his ability to combine tonal beauty with the greatest expressivity of the text and drama" and "a name to remember."
The 2008-2009 season also included appearances as Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto at Opernhaus Zurich, (cond. Nello Santi), Alfredo at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie Liège under the baton of Paolo Arrivabeni and in Lausanne, Mozart 's Requiem with Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra in Turin and Bolzano, Haydn's Creation in Tokyo, Berlioz's Requiem at Vienna's Musikverein and a guest performance in Don Giovanni with the Vienna State Opera in Budapest in the role of Don Ottavio (cond. AdamFischer).
Other highlights of Pirgu's career include debuts and regular engagements at the Vienna State Opera (Nemorino, Fenton, Don Ottavio, Ferrando, Alfredo), Bavarian State Opera in Munich (Ferrando), ABAO in Bilbao (Don Ottavio), Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin (Alfredo), Royal Opera House Covent Garden (Rinuccio), Teatro Real
Madrid (Giocondo in burbero di buon cuore), Hamburg State Opera (Nemorino, Alfredo, Ferrando, Don Ottavio), Opernhaus Zurich (Fenton, Alfredo, Duca), Teatro Sao Carlo in Lisbon (Ferrando, Duca) and the Teatro Communale di Bologna (Fenton).
Future engagements in fall 2009 include the artist's Metropolitan Opera debut as Rinuccio and his first Rodolfo in a live televised broadcast of La Bohème for Swiss Television to be released on DVD. He will also be heard as Alfredo at the Maggio Musicale in Florence (cond. ZubinMehta) and as Edgardo in a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor in January at the Hamburg State Opera (cond. Simone Young), again as Idomeneo in February 2010 at the Opernhaus Zurich (cond. Nicolaus Harnoncourt). In April 2010 Pirgu will sing Rinuccio atSanta Cecilia in Rome (cond. Jurowski) and in May he returns to Covent Garden as Alfredo.
An appearance as Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte under the baton of James Conlon at the Ravinia Festival in August 2010 is also planned.
"Mr. Pirgu can sing, boasting a beautiful lyric voice, somewhat reminiscent – if I may reach back – of Tito Schipa. If he keeps that voice in shape, the sky 's the limit for him."
A native of Elbasan, Albania, Saimir Pirgu was born in September 1981 and began hismusical studies early on. After winning the award for Best Young Singer at the Umberto Sacchetti Competition in Bologna and the Enrico Caruso and Tito Schipa competitions, he was offered his first professional engagements at the Rossini Festival in Wildbad under the baton of Alberto Zedda. Further engagements followed at the Rossini Festival Pesaro in Il viaggio a Reims and Adina, and in 2003 at the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome in Lucia de Lammermoor.
Saimir Pirgu's international breakthrough came in 2004, when he was invited by Claudio Abbado to sing the role of Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte in Ferrara, Reggio Emilio, and Modena. That same year he was invited tomake his Vienna State Opera debut asNemorino andwas awarded the prestigious EberhardWaechterGesangsmedaille.
That year, he also debuted at the Salzburg Festival as Ferrando conducted by Philippe Jordan.
At the age of 22, Pirgu recorded his first CD on the Universal label, Angelo casto e bel, a compilation of tenor arias. He has been the subject of a documentary by theORF (Austrian BroadcastingCorporation), in connectionwith Idomeneo last summer at the Styriarte Festival in Graz and that summer he was also profiled in Opernglas magazine.