JUBILEE SPECTACLE FOR NICOLA GHIUSELEV – “DON CARLO” – 29.10, 19.00 h.
Nicola Ghiuselev
Doctor Honoris Causa of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Commendatore of the Republic of Italy, laureate of the prestigious award “Golden Giuseppe Verdi” for achievement and contributions in the belcanto.
Nicola Ghiuselev was born in Pavlikeni on 17 August 1936. Still the first years of his life were marked with the sign of the music and the art of painting. His father – Nicolay Ghiuselev was gardener, but he played wonderfully on the violin. His mother was dressmaker, but when she was young, she played in an amateur theatre. Nicola started singing since he was very small. At 11, he already performed the leading role in the opera production “The Little Violinist” in his hometown. At the same age, he realized that he had also another gift – the one of a painter. So he started painting, singing and playing the violin. In different periods of his childhood, he believed that he will become a great painter, unsurpassed singer or a future Paganini.
When he was 15, once he heard on the radio a performance, which made him “freeze”. Boris’ monologue from the opera “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, performed by Edmond Kosovski evoked in him love for the opera. In 1951, his family moved to Sofia. He started visiting opera and theatre spectacles, in school concerts he performed the roles of Prince Igor, Ivan Susanin and the Toreador from “Carmen”.
He didn’t stop also with painting – he won competitions at school. He enrolled the Academy of Arts in major Painting. As an excellent student, he was distinguished for a brilliant talent and excellent technique.
During his studies, he had singing lessons by Tsvetana Sabeva and Ilia Yosifov and became soloist of the Ensemble of Songs and Dances to the Ministry of the Interior. He appeared at a competition for new members of the Academic choir “Georgi Dimitrov”, where he performed the aria of Ivan Susanin and won the competition. He took part in series of concerts and festivals in Moscow, Vienna, Helsinki (1962), where he was awarded the Golden medal as soloist.
In 1960, when he graduated with distinction his artistic education, he was offered a contract for work in Berlin and he started preparing himself to depart. At this time, Ghiuselev met the opera singer and music pedagogue Hristo Brambarov and decided to stay in Bulgaria and study singing by him. He remained forever thankful to his teacher, for whom he spoke with a lot of love and respect during his whole life.
In 1960, Ghiuselev became a trainee at the Sofia National Opera. One year and a half later – on 27 June 1961, he debuted in the role of Timur in the premiere spectacle of “Turandot”. In 1961, he became a regular artist at the National Opera. Then followed the roles of Micha from “The Bartered Bride” and Father Gavrail from Konstantin Iliev’s opera “Boyana’s Master”.
In 1963, in the role of Filippo II from “Don Carlo” Ghiuselev won First prize and a Golden medal at the Second international competition for young opera singers in Sofia. The success came only 2 seasons later on the professional stage. In 1968, he stepped for the first time on the stage of Teatro Regio in Parma, Italy, and conquered the hearts of the audience. He performed the role of Attila from Verdi’s opera of the same name. His success was colossal.
Nicola Ghiuselev sang on the big opera stages in Europe, North and South America, Australia, Japan: La Scala – Milan, Teatro Regio – Parma, Teatro San Carlo – Nappoli, Staatsoper – Vienna, Staatsoper and Deutsche Oper – Berlin, Covent Garden – London, Grande Opéra – Paris, Bolshoi Theatre – Moscow, Metropolitan Opera – New York, Teatro Colón – Buenos Aires and many others.
His partners on the stage were Boris Christoff, Nicolay Ghiaurov, Ghena Dimitrova, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Vladimir Atlantov, Yevgeny Nesterenko, Elena Obraztsova, Franco Corelli, Joan Sutherland, Plácido Domingo, Piero Cappuccilli, Renato Bruson, Katia Ricciarelli, Grace Bumbry and many others.
Nicola Ghiuselev was a laureate of the greatest awards of Bulgaria and Italy.
