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On 21 and 25 of February, Italian bel canto will hold sway at the New Stage of the Bolshoi. The leading and guest soloists of the Bolshoi Opera will perform works by Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini.

As tradition of the opera dramatic art demands, each part of the concert will start with an overture. This time, the choice has fallen on the beautiful pieces by Rossini. Well-known ouverture from the opera La gazza ladra introduces the first part of the concert, while the second part will begin with the overture from the opera «Guillaume Tell». The Italian conductor Giacomo Sagripanti will lead the Bolshoi Orchestra. Sagripanti is already well known to the Moscow audience by conducting the production of Don Carlo at the Bolshoi Theatre. This time, the evening will hear his performance of bel canto music (Sagripanti’s core repertoire).

Hibla Gerzmava - an outstanding Russian soprano, People's Artist of Russia and the hostess of the music festival Hibla Gerzmava invites … - will star on the first night. In 2016 Hibla made her Bolshoi Theatre debut as Elisabeth in Verdi`s Don Carlo. On 21 February, she performs Casta diva from Bellini's opera Norma as well as the famous duet from Donizetti’s opera Anna Bolena alongside with Oksana Volkova (Giovanna Seymour).

Nina Minasyan, a guest soloist of the Bolshoi, will perform the famous third-act mad scene from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. At the end of 2016 Nina successfully made her debut as Lucia on the stage of Paris National Opera. At the Bolshoi Theatre she also paid tribute to bel canto, performing Amina in Bellini's La Sonnambula. This time she sings aria of Elvira from the opera I Puritani by Bellini.

Young Chinese tenor Yijie Shi – who is often called one of the best Rossini tenors of the new generation – will perform Ramiro from Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Fernand from Donizetti’s La Favorite. The program will feature Nemorino's romance and a duet (alongside with Nina Minasyan) from Donizetti’s L'elisir d'amore. Leading soloist Igor Golovatenko (baritone), who has recently performed the part of Malatesta at the opening night of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Bolshoi, will sing aria and cabaletta of Severo from the opera Poliuto. The singer has already performed this aria at the famous Glyndebourne Opera Festival.