Makvala Kasrashvili

Soprano,Advisor to the Chief Conductor and Musical Director of the Bolshoi Theatre. Pelagogue of the Opera Center of “Galina Vyshnevskaya”.

Born in town of Kutaisi (Georgia). In 1966, she completed her studies at the Tbilisi Conservatory (Vera Davydova‘s class). In the same year, she made her debut at the Bolshoi Theatre. In 2000, she was appointed director of the Bolshoi Theatre Opera Company collectives.

In 1964, she won 1st prize in the Transcaucasian Contest for Musicians and Singers, in Tbilisi.
In1968, she won 2nd prize at the All-World Festival of Students and Youth, in Sofia.In 1973, she won 2nd prize at the International Contest of Singers, in Montreal.
In 1975, she was awarded the title of Merited Artist of Russian Federation.
In 1980, she was awarded the title of People‘s Artist of Georgian SSR.
In 1983, she won the Zakhar Paliashvili Georgian SSR State Prize.
In 1986, she was awarded the title of People‘s Artist of the USSR.
In 1998, she received the State Prize of Russia for her performance of the title role in Tosca in the Bolshoi Theatre production and in concert programs.
In 2001, she became a holder of the Order For Services to the Fatherland, Ith.

She has an extensive concert repertoire including romances by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Manuel de Falla, Russian and Western European church music, Rossini‘s Petite messe solemnelle, Verdi‘s Requiem, Bruckner‘s Te Deum, Britten‘s The War Requiem, Shostakovich‘s Symphony No. 14.

Tours

The singer‘s international career took off with her triumphant debut, in 1979, at the Metropolitan Opera (as Tatiana in Eugene Onegin).
As a guest star, Makvala Kasrashvili has sung at the world‘s leading opera houses. For four seasons from 1984, she appeared at Royal Opera in London where she sang Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and Vitellio (La Clemenza di Tito).
She sang Donna Anna too for Hamburgische Staatsoper and Prague National Opera.
In 1984, she made her debut as Aida at Bayerische Staatsoper, here she also sang Desdemona (Otello) and Amelia (Un Ballo in maschera).
She also appeared in the latter role at the Met.
She gave two appearances as Elizaveta (Don Carlos) at the Savonlinna Opera Festival (Finland).
She sang the title role in Aida at Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro Arena di Verona, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and at Opera New Jersey she sang Amneris.
She appeared as Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana) at Huston Grand Opera, Finnish National Opera, Opera Seattle and Washington National Opera.
For Norwegian Opera, Polish National Opera and Florida Grand Opera, she sang the title role in Tosca. Apart from her appearance in the role at the Metropolitan Opera, she also sang Tatiana (Eugene Onegin) for Hungarian State Opera, Polish National Opera and Prague Opera e.c