Audio

Alexander Kisselev
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Alexander Kisselev was born in Cheliabinsk, Russia and studied at the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservartoire. His many awards include first prize at the International Singing Competition in Johannesburg, the Chaliapin Prize at the Glinka Competition, First Prize at the International Vocal Competition of the Bolshoi Theatre and prizes also at Operalia 1996 and the Tchaikovsky Competition of 1998 in Moscow. Between 1994 and 1995 he was a principal at the New Moscow Opera and from 1995 to 1998 at the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow. Since 1998 he has been a principal at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. His roles have already included Ruslan (Ruslan and Ludmilla), Boris, Pimen, and Varlaam (Boris Godunov), Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin), King René (Iolanta), The Saltan (The Tale of Tsar Saltan), Galitzky (Prince Igor), Prince Khovansky (Khovanshchina), Prince Viazminsky (The Oprichnik), Sobakin (The Tsar's Bride), Salieri (Mozart and Salieri). The Old Gipsy (Aleko), Lodovico (Otello), Monterone (Rigoletto), Colline (La Bohème), Iacopo Loredano (I due Foscari), the Commendatore (Don Giovanni), Ramfis (Aida), Escamillo (Carmen), Zaccaria (Nabucco) and Padre Guardiano in La forza del Destino. the bass part in Shostakovich’s poem “The Execution of Stepan Razin”.

He has made guest appearances in Paris, Prague (singing the bass part in Shostakovich’s poem “The Execution of Stepan Razin” at the Prague Autumn Festival), Ravenna, Seoul, Trieste and Zagreb among other cities.

In August 1999 he made his first appearance in London as Pimen (Boris Godunov) with the Bolshoi Opera in its debut and was singled out as one of the most interesting new talents in the company. In May and June 2002 he appeared in three concerts with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performing Verdi’s Requiem under Frederic Chaslin.

He made his debut in Russia in the title role of Boris Godunov in the autumn of 2001 and appeared as Boris at the Deutsche Oper Berlin at the beginning of the 2002/3 season.

His first recording was in Shostakovich's operetta Cheriomushky following a concert performance under Gennadi Rozhdestvensky with the Residentie Orchestra of the Hague for Chandos. This was followed by Nabokov’s Ode in 2001 on the Chandos label again with Residentie under Vladimir Polyansky following concerts.

More recent performances include the title role in the premiere of Boris Godunov with Helikon Opera; Pimen with La Monnaie and Opera du Rhin, Strasbourg and Liszt’s oratorio Die Heilige Elisabeth with Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, under Gennadi Rozhdestvensky.

Latest performances include Shostakovich’s 14th Symphony at Belgrade Music Festival, the title role in Boris Godunov and Kochubey in Mazeppa with Helikon Opera, and Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin with the Canadian Opera in Toronto.

Mr. Kisselev has a very busy schedule in the 2008-2009 season throughout Europe and the United States singing opera and concert performances, including such works as the Verdi Requiem, Shostakovich’s “The Execution of Stepan Razin,” two Schubert works under the baton of Maestro Rozhdestvensky, Beethoven 9th Symphony and Missa Solemnis, Dapertutto (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), and Gremin (Eugene Onegin).

On April 21, 2009, Mr. Kisselev will sing the role of King Creonte in Cherubini’s Medea with Eve Queler and The Opera Orchestra of New York in Carnegie Hall with Aprile Millo singing the title role.

Repertoire

Western Composers
Bizet Escamillo (“Carmen”)
Beethoven Missa Solemnis in D-dur, op. 123
Cantata for the Death of Josef the Second
Ninth symphony
Berlioz Friar Laurence (“Romeo et Julia”)
Méphistophéles (“La Damnation de Faust”)
Verdi Lodovico (“Otello”)
Monterone (“Rigoletto”)
Iacopo Loredano (“I due Foscari”)
Zaccaria (“Nabucco”)
Ramfis (“Aida”)
Padre Guardiano (“La Forza del Destino”)
Conte Walter (“Luisa Miller”)
Ferrando (“Trovatore”)
Requiem
Haydn Bass part in Grosse Orgelmesse
Liszt St. Elisabeth Oratorio
Mozart

Commendatore (“Don Giovanni”)
Bartolo (“Le nozze di Figaro”)
Requiem

Mascagni Alfio (“Cavalleria Rusticana”)
Ponchielli Alvise (“La Gioconda”)
Puccini

Colline (“La Bohème”)
Timur (“Turandot”)

Rossini “Stabat Mater”
Russian Composers
Glinka Ruslan (“Ruslan and Ludmila”)
Borodin Prince Galitzky (“Prince Igor”)
Mussorgsky

Boris (“Boris Godunov”)
Pimen (“Boris Godunov”)
Varlaam (“Boris Godunov”)
Prince Khovansky (“Khovanshchina”)

Nikolaev Nicholas II (“The Last Days”)
Nabokov “The Ode”
Rimsky-Korsakov Sobakin (“Tzar’s Bride”)
Tzar Saltan (“The Tale of Tzar Saltan”)
Salieri (“Mozart and Salieri”)
Tzar Dodon (“Le Coq D’Or”)
Tempest Hero (“Kashchey the Immortal”)
Rachmaninov Old Gipsy (“Aleko”)
“The Bells”
Shostakovich Solo part in (“Execution of Stephan Razin”)
Symhony _14
Boris Timofeevich (“Lady Macbeth of Mzensk”)
Stravinsky Chamberlain (“The Nightingale”)
Tchaikovsky Prince Gremin (“Eugene Onegin”)
King Rene (“Yolanta”)
Prince Viazminsky (“Oprichnik”)
Archbishop (“The Maid of Orleans”)
Kochubey (“Mazeppa”)