Alexei Markov (Baritone)
The voice of Alexey Markov – a strong and velvet baritone – can be heard
today at the best opera houses all over the world. With equal admiration he is
applauded by the audiences of the Metropolitan Opera, AlteOper Frankfurt,
Bavarian State Opera, Carnegie Hall, Semper Opera, Zurich Opera, Teatro Real
Madrid and many others. He also became one of the most awaited guests of the
world’s most significant festivals, such as Salzburg Festival of opera. It has
become trendy to go to the Mariinsky Theatre just to hear Markov (if you are
lucky enough to see him singing in Russia).
With one voice musical critics not only mention Alexey’s outstanding vocal
makings, but also his versatile drama talent, that so many opera singers do not
possess.
Nevertheless, Alexey hasn’t come to the world of opera art at once. He was
born in 1977 in Vyborg, and nobody in his family was connected to the
professional singing. Alexey graduated from the Vyborg Aviation Technical
School,and while Russian aviation would have got a high quality expert, Alexey
had a childhood dream that involved reaching for music.
He graduated from the musical school as a guitar player, later was a trumpet
player at the orchestra. Alexey was 22 years old when his strong desire to sing
led him to the Vyborg choir. He realized that his voice should be developed, and
at 24 years old went to St. Petersburg to take private vocal classes.
Alexey’s first teacher, Alexander Dedik led the beginner baritone to the
Academy of Young Singers of the Mariinsky Theatre. Alexey became a student of
George Zastavny, a known baritone of the Kirov Opera. Alexey made his opera
debut when he was 29 years old. He performed the part of Eugene Onegin opera in
the Mariinsky Theater’s production of Eugene Onegin.
Alexey's persistent work did not go unnoticed. Since 2003, he annually
receives the first place awards at the main Russian and International
competitions of opera singers. In 2008 he became a permanent soloist of the
Mariinsky Opera, and performances with his participation became an integral part
of the Theater’s repertoire. Since his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, American
critics saw him as a promising and charismatic baritone. Markov has proved
that a baritone can also be deservedly loved by the audience.
In everyday life, Alexey is simple, nice, and easy-going. He is a devoted
family man but does not get to see enough of them due to his busy touring
schedule. Alexey Markov’s life is a wonderful example of a man, who has managed
to find his calling in time and understood who he really is. "I just live my
life - he says - I like singing. I thank God that it can easily come to me.
Thank God - and this is exactly the church chorus that has given him a
start...
For the moment Alexey has already appeared in such great spectacles as La
Boheme and famous Tosca by Puccini, Un Ballo in Maschera opera and Il Trovatore
Count di Luna by Verdi, Lucia de Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti, and in La
Forza del Destino as Don Carlos.
The most significant classical arias performed by Markov are probably aria of
Bolkonsky in War and peace and Don Carlos. We also must mention his singing and
acting in Otello opera as Iago, sentimental performance in Traviata as Germont
and sarcastic Robert in Iolanta. He’s also capable to play very controversial
roles – he appeared in Faust as Valentin and in Tsar's Bride as Gryaznoy.
Approaching to Russian classics, Markov contributed a lot to the modern staging
of the Queen of Spades as Tomsky and moreover, again in Queen of Spades, as
Yeletsky.
There’s no doubt, that this wonderful career must be continued by many other,
even more exciting performances by a brilliant Russian opera star – Alexey
Markov.
Awards:
Prize-winner at the International Lisitsian Competition (Vladikavkaz,
2003) Prize-winner at the VI International Rimsky-Korsakov Young Opera
Singer's Competition (St Petersburg, 2004) Second place at the I All-Union
Nadezhda Obukhova Competition (Lipetsk, 2005) Prize-winner at the IV
International Elena Obraztsova Young Opera Singers' Competition (St Petersburg,
2005) Recipient of the 2nd prize at the international Competizione dell'
Opera (Dresden, 2006) Recipient of the 1st prize at the International
Moniuszko Competition (Warsaw, 2007) Recipient of the Russian National
Theater Award Golden Mask for the role of Ivan Karamazov in The Brothers
Karamazov (nominated for the “Best Male Role in Opera”, 2009) / Vasily
Barkhatov’s production, musical director- Valery Gergiev. Mariinsky Theater
(Moscow, Russia 2009). Recipient of the St.Petersburg Theater Award “Zolotoy
Sophit” /Golden Floodlight/ for the role of Robert in Iolanta (nominated for the
“Best Male Role in Music Performance”. M. Trelinsky production, musical director
and conductor – Valery Gergiev. Mariinsky Theater (Moscow, Russia,
2009). Recipient of the prize “New Voices of Montblanc” within the music
festival “Stars of the White Nights” (Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 2009) Worked
with the following theaters: The Metropolitan Opera, New York,
USA Opernhaus Zürich, Switzerland Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich,
Germany Oper Frankfurt, Germany Semperoper, Dresden, Germany Teatro
Real, Madrid, Spain and others.
Appeared at the following festivals:
Festival in Salzburg (Salzburger Festspiele), Austria, Gergiev Festival in
Mikkeli, Finland, La Coruña Mozart Festival), Spain, Baden-Baden Festival,
Germany, Moscow Easter Festival, Russia, Music Festival “Stars of White Nights,
Saint-Petersburg, Russia, and many others.
Orchestra’s performed with: Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, London Symphony
Orchestra, New York Symphony Orchestra, New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra),
and others
Venues include:
Wigmore Hall, London, Great Britain Carnegie Hall, New-York,
USA Kennedy Center, Washington DC, USA Barbican Hall, London, Great
Britain Lincoln Center, New York, USA Saint-Petersburg Philharmonic Hall,
Saint-Petersburg, Russia Moscow State Conservatory, Moscow, Russia
Appeared with the Mariinsky Opera Company:
De Doelen Concert Hall, Rotterdam, Netherlands Deutsche Oper, Berlin,
Germany Lincoln Center, New York, USA Kennedy Center, Washington DC,
USA Carnegie Hall, New-York, USA Barbican Hall, London, Great
Britain And at the festivals: Gergiev Festival in Mikkeli, Finland,
Baden-Baden Festival, Germany, and others
Solo recitals: in Finland, Great Britain, Germany, Italy,
France, Austria, USA, Turkey, Russia
In 2006-2008: performed as a guest soloist with the Frankfurt Opera as Tomsky
in the Queen of Spades, Scarpia in Tosca; at the SemperOper in Dresden as Iago
in Otello; at the Graz Opera in Austria as Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera. In
December 2007: made a successful debut at the Metropolitan opera as Andrei in
War and Peace.
In 2008: recorded a CD of the 8th Mahler Symphony with the London Symphony
Orchestra under the direction of Valery Gergiev.
In 2008-2009: sung a role of Eugene Onegin in Eugene Onegin at La Coruna
Festival in Spain, and Gryaznoy at the Tsar’s Bride at the Carnegie Hall with
the New York Symphony Orchestra.
In 2009-2010: debuted as Onegin in Eugene Onegin at the Zurich Opera Theater,
and also performed at the Opéra national de Lyon as Yeletsky in the Queen of
Spades and Onegin in Onegin.
In 2010-2011: made his debut at the Salzburg Festival as Robert in Iolanta,
at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in Monaco as Onegin in Eugene Onegin; at the Opéra
National de Bordeaux as Count di Luna in Trovatore; at the Metropolitan Opera as
Shchelkalov in Boris Godunov, and Tomsky in the Queen of Spades.
Next Appearances: Robert in Iolanta at Teatro Real
Madrid, various productions at the Zurich Opera Theater (2012-2014), new
production of the opera the Legend of the Invisible city of Kitezh and the
Maiden Fevroniya at the Amsterdam Opera, new production of Trovatore in Munich,
as well as La Boheme, Faust, Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera in
2011-2013.
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