Nino Machaidze set for San Francisco Opera debut

Celebrated opera singer Nino Machaidze will make her debut at the home venue of one of the world’s leading opera companies as she takes a principal role in Rigoletto at San Francisco Opera next month.

Machaidze will be cast as Gilda in the classical opera by Giuseppe Verdi on May 31, in what is scheduled to be the first of eight performances at the American theatre.

The Georgian soprano will join Quinn Kelsey, cast as Rigoletto, and Pene Pati, portraying The Duke of Mantua in the production.

See the trailer for San Fransisco Opera's production of 'Rigoletto' below:

Machaidze shared her anticipation of the performance with social media followers earlier today.

I'm very happy and incredibly excited to finally make my debut at San Francisco Opera next month with one of my beloved roles that is Gilda”, said the acclaimed opera artist.

Directed by Rob Kearley, the show will feature sets designed by Michael Yeargan and costumes from Constance Hoffman. Choreography for the piece will come from Lawrence Pech.

The two-and-a-half-hour production will be one of the highlights of the San Francisco Opera’s 2016-2017 season. Final dress rehearsals for the show will also be open for the public who are supporting members of the theatre.

Details of the Rigoletto program at the venue can be found here.

The San Francisco Opera program of ‘Rigoletto’ will launch on May 31. Photo: San Francisco Opera/Cory Weaver.

Machaidze received her vocal training in Tbilisi and performed at the city’s Opera and Ballet State Theatre before joining the Opera Academy of the prestigious Teatro alla Scala in Italy at age 17.

Her critically acclaimed debut at the 2008 Salzburg Festival served as the launchpad for the Georgian soprano’s international career, with Machaidze now recognised among the best contemporary performers.

She has performed at the most prestigious worldwide opera stages including the Vienna State Opera, the Staatsoper Berlin, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera New York.

Machaidze found herself in an unexpected appearance at the Bergen National Opera last month. Photo: Nino Machaidze/Facebook.

The soprano recently found herself in an unexpected stage appearance at Norway’s Bergen National Opera, where she swapped her seat in the audience for the role of Fiorilla in the classical opera Il turco in Italia.

Machaidze was in Bergen to watch her spouse Guido Loconsolo perform in one of the principal roles of the production, however the show faced extraordinary circumstances when Spanish soprano Sylvia Schwartz became ill and had to abandon her appearance in the staging.

The Georgian singer replaced Schwartz on short notice, with the performance going ahead and later described by the organisers as "a dream”.