25.08 Town Hall at 7 PM
FESTIVAL OPENING CONCERT – OPERA GALA
Olga Zaitseva (soprano), Oliver Kuusik (tenor), Aare Saal (baritone, NO Estonia)
Tiina Kärblane (accompanist)
Programme: Donizetti, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Tamberg etc.
Tickets 15€/12€
Bestowal of the Marje and Kuldar Sink award “Young Singer 2018” by Mrs. Mari-Ann and Mr. Tunne Kelam
OLGA ZAITSEVA
has graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with a bachelor’s degree in the singing class of Associate Prof. Pille Lill and Prof. Jaakko Ryhänen and she has obtained her master’s degree from the Pedagogy of Interpretation majoring in singing. She has furthered her skills in the master classes of Ingrid Kremling, Elizabeth Wilke and Yandwiga Rappé in Poland. O. Zaitseva has won the I prize in the St. Petersburg contest “Song has the face of a woman” (2008), special prize in the III and VII international contest “Opera, the Soul of Mountains” in Poland (2008 and 2012), two special prizes in the 2nd PLMF National Vocal Contest dedicated to Vello Jürna (2012). In 2015 O. Zaitseva was given a Crystal Shoe Award from the Estonian Theatre Union for being a “young person in theatre who has accomplished first significant theatrical works” for the performances of Almirena (Händel “Rinaldo”) and Giannetta (Donizetti “L’elisir d’amore”) both in Estonian National Opera. Her repertoire of opera roles includes Almirena, Donna, Mermaid (Händel „Rinaldo“), Giannetta (Donizetti „L’elisir d’amore“), II flower girl (Wagner „Parsifal“), shepherd girl (Ravel „The Child and the Spells“), Tebaldo (Verdi „Don Carlo“), Frasquita (Bizet „Carmen“), Sacerdotessa (Verdi „Aida“), Barbarina (Mozart „Le nozze di Figaro“). During a concert performance she has sung the role of Kupava (Rimsky-Korsakov „The Snow Maiden“) and the soprano part of Fauré’s Requiem.
OLIVER KUUSIK
started his studies in singing at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with Associate Prof. Pille Lill and Prof. Virgilijus Noreika and has graduated from master’s level and opera studio of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (Prof. Rudolf Piernay). He was working as a soloist of the Estonian National Opera between 2008-2017. From the most important roles his repertoire includes Faust (Gounod Faust), Nemorino (Donizetti The Elixir of Love, Liverpool, UK), Don Ramiro (Rossini La Cenerentola), Sesto (Händel Julius Caesar), Fenton (Verdi Falstaff) etc. He has recorded Fleishman’s Rothschild’s Violin together with the Liverpool Royal Symphony Orchestra and sung Enjolras in Schönberg’s/Boublil’s musical Les Miserables. As a valued oratorio and chamber music singer O. Kuusik has performed in over 25 different oratorios and given concerts in Estonia as well as several foreign countries. In 2010 O. Kuusik was rewarded with the annual “Crystal Shoe” Award of the Estonian Theatre Union, in 2009 he was chosen as a laureate of Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques (Montreal, Canada). In 2008 he received the annual Estonian Theatre Award for his singing in Britten’s opera Turn of the Screw and he has been awarded with SEB Bank’s audience award “Soloist of the Year 2001”. O. Kuusik has won the 3rd Prize at the 5th Klaudia Taev International Competition for Young Opera Singers (2007) and the Kremling’s Special Prize for the best interpretation of German Song. He has also won the 1st Prize at the Hendrik Krumm Competition in 2006, the 1st Prize at the Estonian singing competition Young Singer (2002) and the PLMF award “Young Musician 2005”. Several praising reviews have been published about him in worlds most notable publications such as Opera Now, Opera Magazine, The Stage, The London Times etc.
AARE SAAL
has graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre as an opera singer, teachers prof.-s Ivo Kuusk, Virgilius Noreika and Jaakko Ryhänen. In 1990 he participated in the master class of Gino Bechi and in 1997–2000 he attended the master classes of Rolando Panerai in Italy. A. Saal won the 1st prize at the international competition “Voices of Rossini and Donizetti” (1996, Italy). In 1997 he won the prestigious Georg Ots Prize in Estonia. A. Saal made his opera debut in 1989 at the Estonian National Opera with the lead-role in Mozart’s opera “Le nozze di Figaro”. His repertoire includes more than 40 opera and operetta roles in the productions of the Estonian National Opera, Theatre Vanemuine and in productions abroad. The most important roles include the title roles in Verdi’s “Nabucco”, Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”, Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”, Verdi’s “Rigoletto”; Figaro (Rossini “The Barber of Seville”), Escamillo (Bizet “Carmen”), Belcore (Donizetti “L’elisir d’amore”); Verdi’s Don Carlo (“Ernani”), Rodrigo (“Don Carlo”), Renato (“Un ballo in maschera”) and Amonasro (“Aida”); Yeletsky (Tchaikovsky “The Queen of Spades”), Valentin (Gounod “Faust”), Count Almaviva (Mozart “Le nozze di Figaro”), Dandini (Rossini “La Cenerentola”), Marcello (Puccini “La Bohème”), Edwin (Kálmán “Die Csárdásfürstin”), Achillas (Handel “Julius Caesar”), the Third Guest and the U.S. soldier (Tüür “Wallenberg”), Severo (Donizetti “Poliuto”) etc. A. Saal has sung at the Latvian National Opera, Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre, Florence City Theatre, Dramatiska Ensemble in Stockholm and Malmö Opera and Music Theatre. In addition to opera roles his repertoire also includes solo recitals of Estonian, Russian and Italian music.
TIINA KÄRBLANE
has studied at Tallinn Music High School and graduated from the Tallinn State Conservatory in the piano class of Prof. Bruno Lukk. She continued her studies in Leningrad Conservatory in the chamber music department under the guidance of Prof. Tamara Fidler. Her first job was at the Tallinn National Conservatory as an accompanist in the string department. At the same time, there were several concert tours across the former Soviet Union, in the service of Soyuz Concert (with the soloist violin player Jüri Gerretz). In 1991, the teaching job continued at the Kuopio Conservatory and at the Sibelius Academy. T. Kärblane has had several successful performances at national string competitions in Estonia and Finland as well as at international competitions (Riga, 1984; Geneva, 1990; as a competitor A. Leibur). From 2000-2014 T. Kärblane was at the service of Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), teaching accompanying and correpetition. From 2003-2013 she worked as a correpetitor at the Tampere Opera. That job brought her together with a number of Finnish and European distinguished singers, directors and conductors. T. Kärblane started to teach at opera studio in Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in autumn 2013.
