George Gagnidze in San Fransisco Opera season's 'Rigoletto' cast
Gagnidze has been busy since the turn of the year with productions at the Royal Opera House and Teatro San Carlo throughout this month. Photo: George Gagnidze on Facebook.
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Baritone George Gagnidze will join fellow opera stars Pene Pati and Nina Minasyan in a revival production of Rigoletto at San Francisco Opera, one of major international venues, during the 2020-2021 season.
The Georgian singer, selected for the cast in Mark Lamos' production of the Verdi classic, will assume the role of Rigoletto and be partnered by tenor Pati in the role of the Duke of Mantua and soprano Minasyan, cast as Gilda.
The seven-show bill will run at the 1923-launched theatre hall in September and October under the baton of Mark Elder. The creative team has involved efforts of set designer Michael Yeargan, costumes by Constance Hoffman and lighting by Justin A. Partier.
Doesn't that sneer just give you chills? Tenor Pene Pati is back this fall, returning as the Duke in "Rigoletto," opposite George Gagnidze in the title role and Nina Minasyan in her U.S. opera debut. A top-notch cast, tackling Verdi's finest: https://t.co/m0YJNRammP #RigolettoSF pic.twitter.com/wKGRRwLB9U
— San Francisco Opera (@SFOpera) January 26, 2020
The SF Opera's two-hour, 35-minute Rigoletto staging has been praised by San Francisco Chronicle as a "sharply conceived and darkly atmospheric production" built on Verdi's timeless work around the court jester Rigoletto.
His words are as sharp as blades, but when it comes to dissuading his daughter from running off with an adulterous duke, the jester Rigoletto finds himself powerless" - San Francisco Opera
Gagnidze shared his enthusiasm about the season role announcement to his social media fans by posting he was "so happy to be back at the San Francisco Opera next season to sing my signature role Rigoletto [...]".
The singer was on stage at Teatro San Carlo for Tosca on Saturday, in his second appearance in the bill. Earlier in the month he was seen by audiences at the Royal Opera House for the venue's programme of La Traviata under the baton of Daniel Oren.