Nino Machaidze named Opera Wire Artist of the Week ahead of debut performance

Georgia's celebrated soprano Nino Machaidze has been named Artist of the Week by online portal Opera Wire ahead of the singer's opening performance of the Rossini Opera Festival in Italy this week.

Machaidze was praised by Opera Wire critic Fransisco Salazar for forging "a unique path" in her career by taking on a repertoire of lesser known productions along with famed opera classics.

The distinction outlined the selection of the Georgian singer as Artist of the Week for the website and highlighted her upcoming performances at Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy in the opera Le siege de Corinthe.

Countdown started! One week to the premiere of #LesiègedeCorinthe@lucapisaroni@Nino_Machaidze@OrchestraRai@RobertoAbbado@LaFuraDelsBauspic.twitter.com/XOnsYKdWqS

— RossiniOperaFestival (@Rof_Pesaro) August 3, 2017

Machaidze is set to debut in the role of Pamira in the work by Gioachino Rossini, with her successful appearances in the Italian composer's operas particularly noted by Opera Wire.

Machaidze has a darker timbre than would be expected for Rossini’s works but the soprano has defied expectations as she has already dominated some of the composer’s rare operas including Othello, Il Turco in Italia, Il Viaggio a Reims and La Gazza Ladra", said the portal's preview of the performance.

Le siege de Corinthe is a 1826 work by Rossini and represented the first French opera work by the esteemed composer.

The version set to feature Machaidze in Pesaro is directed by Carlus Padrissa and will be presented at the festival for the first time.

Machaidze photographed with Luca Pisaroni and baritone Iurii Samoilov ahead of the festival's launch. Photo: Nino Machaidze artist Facebook page.

The Georgian singer will be joined in the what Opera Wire called a "star studded cast" by Italian bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni in the role of Mahomet II, with tenor John Irvin cast as Cleomene and the show conducted by Roberto Abbado.

Machaidze's appearance will open the festival on August 10, before the soprano performs the role in follow-up shows on August 13, 16 and 19.

The Rossini Opera Festival, celebrating the 37th edition, will run through August 22.