Singing protector. How Zurab Sotkilava got to the opera house from the football field

10.05.2018 08:47

This man always knew how to get what he wanted. He played football, sang, sought after his beloved - and all at the highest level!..

Eliso Turmanidze and Zurab Sotkilava were united by music, but their origins almost separated them. But love conquers all! And only death separated these people, because on September 18 of this year Zurab Lavrentievich left...

In the past, Zurab Sotkilava was a professional football player. Since childhood he dreamed of making brilliant career in this domain. And in the breaks between matches and training, he sang.

He entered the Polytechnic Institute, where he planned to receive the profession of survey engineer. And then he became a student at the Tbilisi Conservatory.

Here Zurab met future wife. He immediately decided that she would become his beloved, and told everyone about it except Eliso herself. The girl studied piano, but did not know about Zurab’s sympathy. And one day she approached him herself. So they started spending time together.

When Eliso wanted to introduce the guy to her family, there was an embarrassment: her aunt was proud to bear the surname Bagrationi, but distorted Zurab’s simple surname and mocked him. And she didn’t know that she would soon love this man dearly, as he would become part of the family and glorify his surname throughout the world.

When the young people decided to legalize the relationship, Zurab’s teacher unexpectedly opposed this union, who was afraid that family and routine would distract the singer from the opera. First, he had to complete his studies at the conservatory, learn the opera “Tosca”... Zurab did just that.

After the wedding, the couple worked together: Zurab sang to the accompaniment of his wife. But then Thea appeared in the family, then Katevan. And the singer needed attention, so the pianist decided to become a housewife.

SOTKILAVA Zurab Lavrentievich- (b. 1937) singer (lyrical dramatic tenor), People's Artist of the USSR (1979). In 1965 74 at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater, from 1974 at the Bolshoi Theater. 1st prize for International competition vocalists named after F. Viñasa (Barcelona), 2nd prize at... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Sotkilava, Zurab Lavrentievich- SOTKILAVA Zurab Lavrentievich (born in 1937), Georgian singer (lyric-dramatic tenor). Since 1965 at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater, since 1974 at the Bolshoi Theater. Sotkilava's performance is distinguished by its temperament and sincerity. Best games Othello... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Sotkilava Zurab Lavrentievich- (b. 1937), singer (lyrical dramatic tenor), People's Artist of the USSR (1979). Student of D. Ya. Andguladze. In 1965 74 at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater, from 1974 at the Bolshoi Theater. 2nd prize at the International Competition named after. P. I. Tchaikovsky (1970, Moscow) ... encyclopedic Dictionary

Sotkilava, Zurab Lavrentievich- Opera singer, People's Artist of the USSR; born March 12, 1937 in Sukhumi, Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; graduated from the Tbilisi Polytechnic Institute and the Tbilisi Conservatory, professor; 1965 1974 worked at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater (Tbilisi); since 1974... Large biographical encyclopedia

Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava- Opera singer, lyric dramatic tenor, soloist Bolshoi Theater Russia, People's Artist of the USSR and Georgian SSR Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava was born on March 12, 1937 in the city of Sukhumi (Abkhazia). Father - Lavrentiy Sotkilava was a historian,... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava- (Georgian ზურაბ სოტკილავა; born 1937) Soviet and Russian opera singer (lyric dramatic tenor), teacher, People's Artist of the USSR (1979).. Contents 1 Biography 2 Recognition and awards ... Wikipedia

Sotkilava- Sotkilava, Zurab Lavrentievich Zurab Sotkilava Full name Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava Date of birth March 12, 1937 (1937 03 12) (73 years old) Place of birth Sukhumi ... Wikipedia

SOTKILAVA- Zurab Lavrentievich (born in 1937), Georgian singer (lyric dramatic tenor). Since 1965 at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater, since 1974 at the Bolshoi Theater. Sotkilava's performance is distinguished by its temperament and sincerity. The best parts of Othello (Othello... ... Modern encyclopedia

SOTKILAVA- Zurab Lavrentievich (born 1937), singer (lyric dramatic tenor), People's Artist of the USSR (1979). Student of D. Ya. Andguladze, trained in Italy. In 1965 74 at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater, from 1974 at the Bolshoi Theater. 2nd prize at the International... ...Russian history

Zurab Sotkilava- Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava (Georgian ზურაბ სოტკილავა; born 1937) Soviet and Russian opera singer (lyric dramatic tenor), teacher, People's Artist of the USSR (1979).. Contents 1 Biography 2 Recognition and awards ... Wikipedia

ზურაბ სოტკილა&

March 12, 1937, Sukhumi, Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Georgian SSR, USSR - September 18, 2017, Moscow, Russia

Soviet Georgian and Russian opera singer (lyric-dramatic tenor), theater teacher, athlete (football player)

Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR (1970).
People's Artist of the Georgian SSR (1973).
People's Artist of the USSR (1979).

Since childhood I have been interested in music (he studied at music school violin and piano class) and sports - football (played school team, then the Sukhumi club).
Graduated from the Tbilisi Polytechnic Institute with a degree in survey engineer. At the same time, he played in Tbilisi Dynamo (Sukhumi) (1951-1955), Dynamo (Tbilisi) (1955-1959), and also took vocal lessons from Professor N.V. Bokuchava. Then - studying at the Tbilisi Conservatory in the class of Professor D.Ya. Andguladze. After graduating from the conservatory in 1965, he became a soloist at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater. Z. Paliashvili.

In 1966-68 he trained at La Scala with maestro J. Barra and E. Piazza.
The singer's debut took place on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater as Jose in Bizet's Carmen in 1973. Since 1974 - soloist of the Bolshoi Theater.
In the spring of 1980, Sotkilava was invited to sing the part of Othello in new production directed by Vittorio de Vita.
The Bologna Academy of Music elected Zurab Sotkilava “for his brilliant interpretation of Verdi’s works” as an honorary member. Then there were “Aida”, “Tosca”, “Khovanshchina” - throughout the north of Italy. Also sang “Messa Solenne” in Rome and Perugia.
He was a professor at the Moscow State Conservatory. Tchaikovsky.

theatrical works

Richard (Un ballo in maschera by Giuseppe Verdi)
Manrico (Il Trovatore by G. Verdi)
Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca by G. Puccini)
Vaudemont (Iolanta by P. Tchaikovsky)
Radames (Aida by G. Verdi)
Indian Guest (Sadko by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)
Arzakan (“The Abduction of the Moon” by O. Taktakishvili) - first performer
Othello (Othello by G. Verdi)
Jose ("Carmen")
Turiddu (Honour Rurala by P. Mascagni)
Baron Calloandro (“The Beautiful Miller's Wife” by G. Paisiello) - the first performer at the Bolshoi Theater
The Impostor (Boris Godunov by M. Mussorgsky)
Golitsyn (Khovanshchina by M. Mussorgsky)
Ishmael (Nabucco by G. Verdi)

prizes and awards

1st prize and gold medal, Grand Prize"Golden Orpheus" at the international competition in Sofia (1968).
II prize and silver medal at the IV International Competition named after. Tchaikovsky (1970).
1st prize at the International Competition named after. Francisco Viñas in Barcelona (1970).
State Prize of the Georgian SSR named after. Z. Paliashvili (1983).
State Prize of the Republic of Georgia named after Shota Rustaveli (1998).
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree (March 22, 2001).
Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree (December 3, 2007).
Order of the Badge of Honor (1971).
Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1976).
Ovation Award (2008).
Certificate of Honor from the President of the Russian Federation (October 27, 2012).
Honorary member of the Bologna Academy of Music (Italy) - elected “for his brilliant interpretation of Verdi’s works.”
Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree (2017)
Three Orders of Honor (Georgia, 1997, 2007, 2016)

People's Artist of the USSR, opera singer Zurab Sotkilava.

Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava was born March 12, 1937 in Sukhumi (Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; now Sukhum, Abkhazia) in the family of Lavrentiy Gutuevich Sotkilava and Ksenia Vissarionovna Karchava. His father was a school director, his mother a radiologist.

IN 1960 Zurab Sotkilava graduated from the mining and geological faculty of the Tbilisi State Polytechnic Institute (now the Georgian Technical University) with a degree in mine surveying engineer, 1965- Tbilisi State Conservatory named after. Vano Sarajishvili (class of David Andguladze), in 1972- postgraduate studies at the conservatory.

As a child, he studied violin and piano at a music school. He was fond of football, and from the age of 16 he played for Dynamo Sukhumi as a defender. IN 1956 became captain of the Georgian SSR national team at the age of under 20. Two years later he began playing in the first team of Dynamo Tbilisi.

At the same time, he studied vocals with professor of the Tbilisi Conservatory Nikolai Bokuchava. At the end 1950s, having completed his sports career due to injury, focused on musical activity. Singing voice - tenor.

IN 1965-1974 was a soloist at the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater. Z. Paliashvili (Tbilisi). He performed the roles of the Duke in Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Rigoletto", Jose in Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen", Turrida in Pietro Mascagni's opera "La Rural Honour", Rudolf in Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème", etc.

IN 1966-1968 completed an internship at the La Scala theater (Milan, Italy).

IN 1973 made his debut in Moscow at the State Academic Bolshoi Theater as Jose (Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen"), in next year was invited to the opera troupe. Performed the roles of Vaudemont (Iolanta by Pyotr Tchaikovsky), Abesalom (Abesalom and Eteri by Zakhary Paliashvili), Cavaradossi (Tosca by Giacomo Puccini), Manrico (Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi), Radames (Aida by Giuseppe Verdi), Othello (“Othello” by Giuseppe Verdi), etc.

IN 1976-1988 taught at the Moscow State Conservatory. P. I. Tchaikovsky, in 2002 resumed there teaching activities. Among Sotkilava's students are opera singers Vladimir Bogachev, Alexander Fedin, Vladimir Redkin and others.

IN 1995 participated in the premiere of the first production of Modest Mussorgsky's opera "Khovanshchina" in the history of the Bolshoi Theater, as revised by Dmitry Shostakovich, performing the role of Golitsyn. Throughout his career he performed on tours in the USA, Italy, Germany, France, Great Britain, etc.

He headed the jury of the International Competition. P.I. Tchaikovsky in the category "vocal art" (1994), jury of the film festival of the CIS and Baltic countries "Kinoshock" (2000). IN 2011 served on the jury television project"The Phantom of the Opera" (Channel One).

He was an honorary member of the Bologna Music Academy (Italy).

IN last years suffered from cancer throughout his life.

People's Artist of the USSR (1979). Laureate of the orders "Badge of Honor" (1971), Red Banner of Labor (1976), "For Services to the Fatherland" I (2017), II (2007) and III (2001) degrees, Honor (1997, 2007, Georgia).

He was awarded a certificate of honor from the President of the Russian Federation (2012).

Was awarded the State Prize of the Georgian SSR named after. Z. Paliashvili (1983) and the State Prize of Georgia named after. Shota Rustaveli (1998).

Laureate IX World Festival youth and students (1968, Sofia, Bulgaria), IV International Competition named after. P. I. Tchaikovsky (1970, Moscow), Francisco Viñas International Vocal Competition (1970, Barcelona, ​​Spain), Russian music award"Ovation" (2008).

He was married to pianist Eliso Turmanidze. Daughters Tea (born 1967) and Ketevan (born 1971) are graduates of the Moscow state university them. M. V. Lomonosov.

Undisguised temperament, expressive technique and a passionate attitude towards music made this person a great, radiant and beloved artist who trained a whole generation of talented students.

Remembering life path maestro, Sputnik Georgia congratulates Zurab Lavrentievich on his anniversary and wishes him good health, longevity and creative success.

Since childhood, the boy was passionately and seriously interested in this sport and at the age of 16 he joined the junior team of the Georgian national team, and later became its captain. In 1956, the team won the All-Union competition, and Sotkilav was accepted into the main team of Dynamo Tbilisi.

But soon music appeared in Zurab’s life. “One day pianist Valeria Razumovskaya came to my parents, who always admired my voice and said who I would eventually become. I didn’t attach any importance to her words at the time, but still agreed to come to some visiting conservatory professor from Tbilisi for an audition ".

Soon Zurab began studying singing with a professor at the Tbilisi State Conservatory. V. Sarajishvili Nikolai Bokuchava. I had to find time and rush between two passions - vocals and football. Zurab attended singing classes in the interval between football practices and games.

But the moment came when Zurab, unfortunately, had to forget about football - after severe injuries received in 1958 in Yugoslavia and in 1959 in Czechoslovakia, he was unable to continue playing football. And then I decided to devote myself entirely to music.

© photo: Sputnik / Pedenchuk

People's Artist of the USSR Zurab Sotkilava as Jose in Georges Bizet's opera "Carmen"

In 1960, after graduating from the mining department of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, he was admitted to the Tbilisi Conservatory. It is noteworthy that the conservatory teachers first identified Sotkilav’s voice as a baritone. But later, already in his third year, Sotkilava found himself in the class of the outstanding Georgian dramatic tenor and teacher David Andguladze. It was he who managed to discover the lyric-dramatic tenor in the promising student.

In 1965, Zurab Sotkilava successfully graduated from the Tbilisi Conservatory, and in 1972 he completed graduate school there. And he was immediately admitted to Tbilisi state theater opera and ballet named after Z. Paliashvili. It was on the stage of this theater that Sotkilava made his brilliant debut. At that time, Sotkilava performed leading roles in operas such as “Tosca” and “La bohème” by Giacomo Puccini, “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi, as well as the Georgian operas “Abesalom and Eteri” by Zakharia Paliashvili, “Mindia” by Otar Taktakishvili and many others.

In 1966, Zurab Sotkilav, as a promising performer, was sent for an internship to Italy, at the La Scala theater under the direction of Gennaro Barra and Enrico Piazza. There he prepared the roles of the Duke in Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, Jose in Georges Bizet's Carmen, and Turrida in Pietro Mascagni's Honor Rusticana. After this, in Italy he began to be called one of the best interpreters of Italian opera classics.

After a two-year internship in Italy, the singer triumphantly performed at the Golden Orpheus festival of young vocalists - Sotkilava won the main prize of the Bulgarian festival. Two years later, in 1970, another success: at one of the most important International Competitions named after P.I. Tchaikovsky in Moscow Sotkilava was awarded the second prize. After this victory, the following ones followed - first prize and Grand Prix at the F. Viñas International Vocal Competition in Barcelona.

Soon David Andguladze said about his student: “Zurab Sotkilava is a gifted singer, very musical, his voice, of unusually beautiful timbre, does not leave the listener indifferent. And the most remarkable trait of his character is his hard work, the desire to comprehend all the secrets of art.”

The Georgian singer made his debut on the Russian stage in 1973, on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater - Zurab sang the role of Jose in the opera "Carmen". This performance in 1974 was followed by a tempting invitation - the singer was invited to join the Bolshoi Theater opera troupe. In the Bolshoi different years Zurab Sotkilava performed the roles of Manrico in the opera Il Trovatore, Radames in Aida, Richard in Un ballo in Masquerade, Ishmael in Nabucco and Othello in the opera of the same name by Giuseppe Verdi, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca by Giacomo Puccini and Turiddu in La Rural honor" Pietro Mascagni. It should be noted that the singer’s repertoire includes Russian operas: “Iolanta” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, “Sadko” by Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov, “Boris Godunov” and “Khovanshchina” by Modest Mussorgsky. By the way, Sotkilava was the first performer of the roles of Baron Calloandro in Giovanni Paisiello's The Beautiful Miller's Wife and Arzakan in Otar Taktakishvili's The Rape of the Moon.

After this, they opened before Zurab Sotkilava and best scenes all over the world. Georgian singer repeatedly sang in such famous opera houses as La Scala, London royal opera, Bavarian States Opera, Dresden Opera, Norwegian Opera, Bologna Teatro Communale, Liceu opera houses in Barcelona and La Fenice in Venice. From 1970 to 1990, the famous tenor had high-profile concert tours throughout Europe, as well as in the UK, USA and Japan.

It is worth noting that Zurab’s repertoire of performances includes not only opera arias, but also romances by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, cycles German composers Strauss and Wolf. The performer's favorite program is also Georgian and Russian. folk songs, as well as Italian and Spanish compositions.

But besides the fact that Zurab Sotkilava - outstanding singer, he is also a very subtle teacher. In 1976-1988 he worked at the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky (at the department of solo singing), since 1987 - professor of the department. Since 2002, Sotkilava resumed teaching at the conservatory. Among the maestro's students are singers Vladimir Bogachev, Vladimir Redkin, Alexander Fedin and many others. Sotkilava also worked on television. He was the creator and host of the TV series "Masters" opera stage" and "Opera Lovers Club".

Zurab's arsenal of awards includes titles People's Artist Georgian SSR (1973) and People's Artist of the USSR (1983). In 1983, the opera singer became a laureate State Prize Georgian SSR named after Z. Paliashvili, and in 1998 - winner of the State Prize of Georgia named after Sh. Rustaveli. In addition, the singer was awarded the Order of Russia - "For Services to the Fatherland" IV degree (2001), III degree (2007), as well as two Orders of Honor of the Republic of Georgia (1997, 2007). For his brilliant interpretation of Verdi's works, the Bologna Academy of Music elected Zurab Sotkilava as an honorary member.

However, besides the excellent vocal career, Zurab Sotkilava is still happily married to Eliso Turmanidze, with whom he has been living for 51 years. Zurab met Eliso at the Tbilisi Conservatory, where she graduated in piano with honors. The family of Eliso and Zurab had two daughters: Thea (born in 1967) and Ketino (born in 1971). Both graduated from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. By the way, Sotkilav’s youngest daughter was a co-author of some of her father’s musical programs on television. Zurab Sotkilav also has grandchildren - Keti and Levon.

In July 2015, information about an oncological diagnosis spread in the media. opera singer. Doctors diagnosed him with a malignant tumor of the pancreas. After an operation in Germany and a course of treatment in Russia, the singer returned to creative activity, and his first concert after recovery took place on October 25, 2015 in Sergiev Posad.

© photo: Sputnik / Vladimir Vyatkin

Since then, the invincible Zurab Sotkilava continues to work at the conservatory and constantly tells journalists: “I can’t live without music and singing.”