Young Georgian Soprano’s Triumph at Covent Garden & Deutsche Oper Berlin

INTERVIEW

Salome Jicia, soprano, soloist of the Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theater, was born in Zugdidi. After training as a pianist, she went on to study vocal in Georgia with Professor Davit Bejuashvili and at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Rome, with Renata Scotto and at the Rossini Opera Academy with Alberto Zedda. Opera engagements include Elena (La donna del lago), Contessa di Foleville (Il viaggio a Reims) and Dorliska (Torvaldo e Dorliska) in Pesaro, Aspasia (Mitridate, re di Ponto) for the Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theater.

Her concert appearances include performing with José Carreras in Kutaisi, Georgia, and participating in the Final World Tour Concert of José Carreras in Seoul, South Korea. In 2010, she took her Master’s Degree in Piano at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and two years later won the Grand-Prix at the International Music Festival in Turkey; Grand-Prix at the International Singing Competition in Armenia and First Prize at the Lado Ataneli International Singing Competition in Georgia. In 2014, she was awarded the special prize of Max Klein and Madronita Andreu, for the best performance of Mozart at the Francisco Viñas International Singing Contest, Barcelona, Spain. Last year, she won First Prize and the Maria Fołtyn Prize for the best performance of a work by Stanisław Moniuszko at the 9th International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition, Poland. Since 2009, Jicia has taken part in numerous concerts and performances, including in Georgia’s own International Festival ‘Night Serenades’.

GEORGIA TODAY met Jicia prior to her Berlin debut to find out more.

You recently conquered the stage of Covent Garden

Graham Week’s production was quite an important debut for me in London- he’s a great director and I learned a lot from him. I played the part of Sifare in Mozart’s ‘Mitridate’. It was the most beautiful staging.

You also did well at Rossini’s festival

After London, I went to the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, where I sang the leading role. This festival occupies a particular place for me, as this gave a boost to a number of changes in my artistic life.

You’ve also had the honor of performing with the great Jose Carreras

It was a special day…to have had a chance to emerge beside him on stage- it was a dream come true as he was a childhood idol of mine. Having sung with him means a lot to me. We sang together in several different countries.

Who is your favorite composer?

For me, opera is unimaginable without Verdi. The two words ‘opera’ and ‘Verdi’ stand side by side as one whole phenomenon.

Which is your dream role?

Madame Butterfly in Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly”.

You have an upcoming role in ‘Traviata’ at the Deutsche Oper Berlin

It will be my debut in Berlin and, generally speaking, in Germany. I will perform Violetta’s part. I have the first performance on August 30. I am looking forward to meeting the German public. Summer has turned out to be quite busy – working with three different composers, having two debuts… An interesting autumn is still ahead.

Maka Lomadze