Three participations at Sofia Opera and Ballet lie before the well-known bass from Italy Carlo Colombara. On 11 February at 19.00 h, he will be guest-singer in the production of “AIDA” by Hugo de Ana. On 27 March, in the cycle “Tutto Verdi” with the special participation of the baritone Vladimir Stoyanov, the audience will hear Carlo Colombara as Zaccaria in the concert performance of the opera “Nabucco” by Giuseppe Verdi. Culmination in the guest-performance of the Italian bass is expected to be his participation as Filippo II in Plamen Kartaloff’s production of another masterpiece by Verdi, “Don Carlos” on 31 May at 19.00 h.

Carlo Colombara is typical representative of the Italian singing bass tradition, with pronounced Verdi profile, and not less successful romantic repertoire, as a part of the French cultural sensitivity. His powerful voice, beautiful timbre, depth and mobility are assigning him a place of honour in opera world of today.

Performer with more than 20 years on the stage, Colombara doesn’t stop enriching his creative nature under the pressure of his artistic vocation and ambitions for constant development and improvement. 

For the last years, he made several debuts in the operas “Mefistofele” (Boito), “Carmen” (Bizet), “Don Pasquale” (Donizetti), “Les contes d’Hoffmann” (Offenbach) and “Don Giovanni” (Mozart). In 2012 he made his debut in the role of Scarpia from “Tosca” (Puccini) – concert version, performed in Prague and Parma, as well as participation in the TV program “Tonight I decide”, an attempt for original presentation of the work to the public and a look to the relationship director-singer.

Last year, dedicated to the 200th Anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi, he took part in “Requiem” in Boston. He had also participations in London and at the Opera Festival in Savonlinna, he presented Zaccaria from “Nabucco” in Stuttgart and at Arena di Verona, as well as Fiesco from “Simon Boccanegra” in Vienna and Salerno. Beyond Verdi’s repertoire, he took part in “La favorite” (Donizetti) at Théâtre des Champs Elysées, “Petite Messe Solennelle” (Rossini) in Paris and Vienna, and “Mefistofele” at Teatro Regio di Parma.

This year, Carlo Colombara will hold his master classes, and will also give concerts in Mortara, Parma, Birmingham, London, Trieste, Salzburg, Piacenza and Modena. He will participate, together with José Carreras, in the premiere of the opera “El juez (los niños perdidos)” (“The Judge, the Missing Children”) with dramatic plot about children, disappeared during the Franco regime, at Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao.

Carlo Colombara was born in Bologna. At the age of 12 he began with piano lessons, but three years later with the first lessons by Paride Venturi he dedicated himself to singing. In 1986 he won the prize for best Italian singer in the contest “Viotti”, and the following year he was laureate at the competition As.Li.Co, shortly before his debut at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma in the role of De Silva from “Ernani” (Verdi). After that followed participations in “L'incoronazione di Poppea” (Monteverdi) in Bologna and in “Oedipus Rex” (Stravinsky) at Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

In the 1990-s Carlo Colombara established himself as one of the eminent singers of his generation, he debuted on the scene of La Scala di Milano – Procida in “I vespri siciliani” (Verdi) with Ricardo Muti, and also in “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” (Wagner), “Lucia di Lammermoor” (Donizetti), “Nabucco” and “Macbeth” (Verdi).

Carlo Colombara has an intensive concert activity with performance of cantata and oratorio works. One of his most remarkable participations was in the celebrated spectacle of “Turandot” (Puccini), presented in the open air in front of the Palace in the “Forbidden City” in Peking with Zubin Mehta.
For his artistic successes, Carlo Colombara is bearer of the awards “Lauri Volpi” (1994), “Orazio Tosi” (1995), “Cappelli” (1999), the “Skein of gold” (2002) “Monteverdi” (2009), as well as “Golden Bonci” (2011).