Soprano Salome Jicia wows audience at prestigious Rossini festival

Georgia’s Salome Jicia has impressed the audiences of the prestigious Rossini Opera Festival in Italy where the young soprano is featured among acclaimed opera performers from around the world.

Jicia had her chance to shine at the festival, held in the Adriatic town of Pesaro, within performances of the 19th century-premiered opera Torvaldo e Dorliska.

The Georgian singer appeared in four shows of the bill including on Monday.

The bill for the 19th century production involved four performances in the festival program. Photo: Rossini Opera Festival.

Fellow opera singer Giorgi Tsintsadze, attending the event, revealed to his social media followers the reception for Jicia from the festival’s audience.

Tsintsadze noted Jicia’s performance "becoming the talk” of the festival guests and participants, with a "sea” of fans queuing up to meet the young soprano after the show.

Jicia’s established colleagues at the festival included soprano Francesca Tassinari, bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni and Georgia’s Nino Machaidze.

The emerging artist will feature in another festival show, in Gioachino Rossini’s 1841 work Stabat Mater, on the festival’s closing today.

Jicia performed at venues in Georgia and abroad including the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre. Photo: State Opera House of Georgia.

Born in western Georgian city of Zugdidi, Jicia graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and the Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Central Music School.

She then continued her studies at the opera studio of the Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome.

The soprano debuted at the Royal Opera during the 2016-2017 season while her appearances also include partnering famed tenor Jose Carreras in Kutaisi, Georgia.

Jicia is a recipient of awards including the Grand Prix of the Istanbul International Music Festival as well as the First Prize and the Maria Foltyn Prize at the International Stanislaw Moniuszko Vocal Competition.

This year’s Rossini Opera Festival marked its 37th edition.