Nino Machaidze leads ’The Pearl Fishers’ cast at LA Opera

Renowned opera singer Nino Machaidze is leading the cast of Georges Bizet’s exotic opera The Pearl Fishers in an LA Opera program running at the venue since last week.

Machaidze is starring as Leila, a Hindu priestess in historical Ceylon involved in a triangle affair with a local leader and his friend.

Partnered by Mexican tenor Javier Camarena and baritone Alfredo Daza in the male roles, her performance has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as "scorching” and noted for "captivating ferocity”.

The program is notable not only for star performers on stage but for involving famed Spanish tenor Placido Domingo as conductor for the orchestra of the shows.

Directed by Penny Woolcock, the production of Bizet’s early work features set design by Dick Bird and costumes by Kevin Pollard.

Five performances of The Pearl Fishers are scheduled to run until the program concludes on October 28.

 

Dynamite duo indeed -- @placido_domingo and @nino_machaidze! ⠀ ⠀ Catch these two this weekend with @nino_machaidze playing Leïla and @placido_domingo conducting the #PearlFishers!⠀ ⠀ Ticket #linkinbio ⠀ ⠀ (: @nino_machaidze)

A post shared by LA Opera (@laopera) on Oct 5, 2017 at 6:34pm PDT

Machaidze was named Artist of the Week by online portal Opera Wire ahead of the singer's opening performance of the Rossini Opera Festival in Italy in August.

The international magazine Opera World also named the Georgian singer among the ten best sopranos in the world in 2015.

This year she has performed at venues including San Francisco Opera and Bergen National Opera.