Biography

Award-winning Russian bass, Alexei Tanovitski, has impressed audiences the world over. Amongst his broad repertoire, which includes Ivan Khovansky (Khovanshchina), Kochubei (Mazeppa), Zaccaria (Nabucco), Padre Guardiano (La forza del destino), Hagen (Götterdämmerung), and Boris Timofeyevich (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk), he is particularly well known for his renditions of Boris Godunov (Boris Godunov) and Ivan the Terrible (The Maid of Pskov).

Award-winning Russian bass, Alexei Tanovitski, is one of the brightest stars of his generation. He has impressed audiences the world over and won wide-spread critical acclaim for his performances in the most prominent of the Tanovitski Alexei_stageworld's theaters and concert halls.

Following his recent performance of the Bells as Royal Albert Hall (July 31, 2011), the BBC Proms reviews (OHM) were prompted to write:

Most impressive was Alexei Tanovitski, a bass who has impressed as Boris Godunov and Ivan the Terrible – his portrait, in Spring, of a husband driven almost to murder by his wife's infidelity was painful to watch and hear, for the right reasons, his voice dark yet bell-like and clear throughout its whole range.

The versatility of his voice gives rise to a repertoire that encompasses styles ranging from Italian to Russian and periods extending from Wagner to the modern day. His dramatic talent is similarly broad and enables him to deliver equally convincing portrayals of characters as varied as Don Basilio, Varlaam, Boris Godunov, Tsar Ivan Vasilevich the Terrible and Wotan.

The foundations of his path to the world opera scene were laid in the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Indeed, his engagement there, which began in 1999, continues to this day. Thanks to this quality environment, with its rich repertoire and deep traditions, Tanovitski has seized the opportunity to master and execute his craft, which has included roughly 50 major operatic roles spanning a range of composers, styles and genres, on an impressive number of international stages. Selected highlights include:

  • Teatro alla Scala (Captain Ramballe and Maresciallo Beerthier «War and Peace» 2000),
  • Royal Opera House (Vaarlam «Boris Godunov» 2005),
  • Royal Swedish Opera (Varlaam «Boris Godunov» 2005),
  • Opéra Bastille (the Barber Ivan Yakovlevich «The Nose», 2005),
  • Bunka Kaikan (Hagen «Götterdämmerung» 2005),
  • Kennedy center, Washington (Boris Timofeyevich Lady «Macbeth of Mtsensk» 2007;
  • Varlaam «Boris Godunov», Prince Ivan Khovansky «Khovanshchina» 2010),
  • Perez Galdos, Gran Canaria (Wotan, «Das Rheingold», «Die Walküre» 2007),
  • Carnegie Hall (Farlaf «Ruslan and Ludmilla», Father Frost «The Snow Maiden», Khan Konchak «Prince Igor» 2007;
  • King of Clubs «The Love for Three Oranges» 2008),
  • Deutsche Oper, Berlin (Prince Ivan Khovansky «Khovanshchina» 2008)

At 29 years of age, Tanovitski made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Under the direction of Maestro V. Gergiev, he performed the role of Wotan in three operas from the cycle of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" by R. Wagner. His performances on this most distinguished of stages were highly acclaimed. For example, on July 16, 2007, the New York Sun wrote:

For Das Rheingold:

In the role of Wotan was the bass Alexei Tanovitsky, who evinced great dignity and vocal control: That is the kind of Wotan we want, always. In Mr. Tanovitsky's arsenal is a strong, almost tenorial top.

For Die Walküre:

Alexei Tanovitsky, as Wotan, had another good night, possibly even better than the previous one. He sang with both godly regality and fatherly pity (to go with the aforementioned rage).

Tanovitski has also forged an impressive career for himself as an independent artist. Thus far, this has included appearances at many of the world's principal theatres. Selected highlights include:

  • Budapest National Opera (Banco "Macbeth" 2002, 2004),
  • Jewish Summer Festival, Budapest (Le Cardinal de Brogni "La Juive" 2004),
  • Aix-en-Provence Festival (King of Clubs "Love for Three Oranges" 2005),
  • Luxemburg National Opera (King of Clubs "Love for Three Oranges" 2005),
  • Teatro Real in Madrid (King of Clubs "Love for Three Oranges" 2006), Croatian National Opera (Zaccaria "Nabucco" 2006; Sarastro "Die Zauberflöte" 2006),
  • Théâtre du Châtelet (Boris Timofeyevich "Katerina Ismailova" 2007),
  • Hollуwоod Bowl (Varlaam "Boris Godunov" Los Angeles Philharmonic orcestra, 2007),
  • Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (Gremin "Eugene Onegin" 2008; Remeniuk "Semyon Kotko" 2009),
  • Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa (Boris Godunov "Boris Godunov" 2009),
  • Croatian National Opera (Kochubey "Mazepa" 2010),
  • Teatro San Carlos (Gremin, "Eugene Onegin" 2010),
  • Bolshoi theatre (Tsar Ivan Vasilevich the Terrible "The Maid of Pskov" 2010),
  • Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Moscow (Wotan "Die Walküre" Russian National Symphony Orchestra 2010),
  • Metropolitan opera, New York (Un Frate, Il grande inquizitore "Don Carlo" 2010),
  • Teatro Regio, Torino (Procida "I Vespri siciliani" 2011),
  • Opening of the historical building of Bolshoi Theatre. Moscow (Farlaf "Ruslan and Lydmila". 2011),
  • Wiener Staatsoper, Wien (Zaccaria "Nabucco" 2011),
  • Teatro Regio, Torino (S.Prokofiev "The Fiery Angel", Inquisitor 2012),
  • Teatro Massimo, Palermo (M. Mussorgsky "Boris Godunov", Boris Godunov 2012),
  • Bamberg Konzerthalle. Bamberg (R. Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen "Götterdämmerung" - Hagen. 2013),
  • Teatro Massimo. Palermo (R. Wagner: "Die Walküre" – Hunding. 2013),
  • Teatro Massimo. Palermo (G. Verdi: "Aida" – Ramfis. 2013),
  • Opening of the season Metropolitan opera, New York (P. Tchaikovsky "Eugene Onegin" Gremin 2013)
  • Metropolitan opera, New York (P. Tchaikovsky "Iolanta" Rene 2015).

Tanovitski has worked under the direction of the world's leading conductors. Of the many productive relationships he has developed, a select list includes:

Valery Gergiev, Roberto Abbado, Vladimir Jurowsky, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Mark Elder, Kent Nagano, Mikhail Tatarnikov, Jonathan Nott, Stefano Ranzani, Vladimir Minin, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Michail Jurowsky, Vassily Sinaisky, Paavo Järvi, Xian Zhang, Tugan Sokhiev, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Andris Poga, Stanislav Kochanovsky, Christian Zacharias, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Keri-Linn Wilson, Alexander Vedernikov, Maxim Shostakovich, Zhang Guoyong, Yuri Bashmet.

Tanovitski is an equally engaging concert singer. As is the case for his operatic roles, his concert repertoire is equally broad. As such, he has been honored to be a prominent participant in many international festivals and has appeared with the most renowned orchestras in many legendary concert halls. Selected highlights include:

  • Concert Hall Finlandia-Huset, Helsinki (Symphony № 9 L. van Beethoven, no. 9, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra 2003),
  • Beijing Concert Hall (Simphony № 14 D. Shostakovich, 2008),
  • Stavanger Konserthus (Ten pieces for the Joker "King Lear" D. Shostakovich, Stavanger Symfoniorkester 2009),
  • Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris ("Spring" Cantata, "The Bells" Cantata S. Rachmaninoff, Orchestre National de France 2010),
  • Auditorium di Milano, Milan ("Ivan the Terrible" oratorio S. Prokofiev, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi 2010),
  • Salle Pleyel, Paris ("Ivan the Terrible" oratorio S. Prokofiev, 2010),
  • Auditorium di Milano, Milan ("Requiem" G. Verdi, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, 2011),
  • Barbican Centre, London ("Ivan the Terrible" oratorio S. Prokofiev, London Symphony Orchestra, 2010),
  • Royal Albert Hall, London ("The Bells" Cantata, "Spring" Cantata S. Rachmaninoff, BBC Symphony Orchestra 2011),
  • Bregenz Festival, Austria ("Sonnets of Michelangelo" D.Shostakovich, Das Hallé Orchestra Manchester, 2011),
  • Enescu Festival, Bucharest ("Ivan the Terrible" oratorio S. Prokofiev, 2011),
  • Salle Métropole, Laussanne (A. Dvorak, "Stabat Mater" Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne 2011),
  • Gewandhaus, Großer Saal. Leipzig (I. Strawinsky, "Pulcinella" 2011),
  • Barbican Centre, London (I. Strawinsky "Oedipus Rex" - Tiresias, London Symphony Orchestra, 2012),
  • SALZBURG FESTIVAL Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg ("Cleopatra orientale" S. Prokofiev: "Egpytian Nights" 2012),
  • National Academy of St. Cecilia. Rome (S. Rachmaninoff: "Spring" Cantata" 2013),
  • Teatro alla Scala, Milano (S.Prokofiev " Ivan the Terrible" - oratorio, 2012),
  • Auditorium Rai. Turin (Concert "Verdi e il potere" G. Verdi: "Don Carlos" The Grand Inquisitor. 2013).

Alexei Tanovitski was born in Minsk, Belarus where he began his musical education in the State Music Academy in Minsk. He subsequently completed his studies at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is a citizen of both Belarus and France and was recently appointed as an ambassador to promote the UNESCO World-Heritage-Listed city of Trogir on Croatia's Adriatic Coast.

Alexei Tanovistki has been a laureate at the following International Competitions for young opera singers:

  • 2003 International Competition of Opera "Rimski-Korsakov", St. Petersburg, Russia.
  • 2005 4th International Competition "Elena Obrascova", St. Petersburg, Russia.
  • 2005 3rd China (Ningbo) International vocal Competition.
  • 2005 4th Shizuoka International vocal Competition, Japan.