Georgian baritone Otar Nakashidze charms jury at Italian contest
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A Georgian opera singer was awarded one of three top prizes at the Anselmo Colzani International Opera Singing Contest in Italy on Saturday after his performance captivated the jury and the audience alike.
Baritone Otar Nakashidze was ranked in the top three of the competition alongside singers from China and South Korea. The three contestants were singled out from 150 participants from around the world.
The Georgian singer also made history after he was named Audience Favourite, making it the first time a singer from outside of Italy was selected for the honour.
See Georgian baritone Otar Nakashidze perform at the 12th Anselmo Colzani International Opera Singing Contest below:
The opera competition was held at the Budrio Theatre in the northern Italian province of Bologna and involved master classes in famous productions in addition to the main singing contest.
Nakashidze received his early musical education at the Zakaria Paliashvili State Music School in Georgia's seaside city of Batumi.
In 2012 the baritone was granted a year-long internship in Milan, Italy under Italian teacher Jean Maffeo.
Nakashidze's repertoire featured lead roles in famous opera classics including La traviata, Rigoletto and Pagliacci.
The Anselmo Colzani competition was named after acclaimed Italian baritone Anselmo Colzani (1918-2006) who performed at the country's most famous opera houses and enjoyed international appearances at celebrated venues including the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
The 12th annual contest ran from January 28-30.
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