Opera, ballet stars from 10 countries join Maria Biesu Invites Festival

Opera and ballet stars from ten countries attend the 16th edition of “Maria Biesu Ivites” Festival to take place in Chisinau during September 20-28, Info-Prim Neo reports. The general director of the Opera and Ballet National Theater, Andrei Lozovan, Friday told a news conference this year's edition was different by grandeur. The plays “Don Giovanni”, “Norma”, “Turandot”, “Yolanta” and “Luceafarul” ballet by Eugen Doga will be performed for the first time at the festival. The classic ballets “The Swan Lake” and “Giselle” will also be displayed. The festival starts on Saturday with “Don Giovanni” by W.A. Mozart, to be performed by soprano Felicia Filip (Romania) as Donna Elvira and the soloist of the Ankara Opera, Biulent Atesoglu, as Leporello. Felicia Filip, the only holder of all Mozart awards in the world, is in Moldova not for the first time. “It's a great pleasure to come back to this wonderful place, especially because I am linked by great friendship to this extraordinary and universal value Maria Biesu, loved not only in Moldova, but in the entire world,” Felicia Filip said. On Sunday, Sept. 21, the Organ Hall will host a concert, while the Opera Theater -- “Norma” by V. Bellini. The main parts, Norma and Polione, will be played by the Italian soprano Gabriella Morigi and the Moldovan tenor Mihai Munteanu. Conductor - Anthony Armore (USA). Ballet “Luceafarul” will be played on Sept. 22. According to the director of the festival, Parascovia Berghie, soloists from Mongolia and South Korea will attend for the first time. Bayasgalan Dashnyam and Patrizio Ha will play the main parts in “Turandot” by G. Puccini, conducted by Alexandru Samoila, the chief conductor of the Antaliya Opera (Turkey) on 22 Sept. On Thursday, Sept. 25, “Giselle” by A. Adam will be on with Maria Cosmina (Slovakia) and Mikhail Sosnovski (Austria) playing the main parts. The performance will be conducted by Aleksey Baklan, from Ukraine's National Opera. Parascovia Berghie says it's a big attainment that two artists from Russia's Bolshoi Theater are participating – soprano Lolitta Semenina and conductor Pavel Sorokin, who'll perform in “Yolanta” by P. Tchaikovsky on 26 September. The Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, with Maria Cosmina and Mikhail Sosnovski in the main parts will be on on 27 September. The Gala Concert of the festival will be on Sunday, 28 September, at the National Palace. The Maria Biesu Invites Festival is organized by the Moldovan Culture Ministry, the Musicians Union and the Opera Theater. According to Sergiu Boboc from the Ministry, the budget is 750,000 lei, 500,000 of which are from the state and 250,000 from sponsors. In 2007, the Maria Biesu Invites Festival did not take place, as a “Madame Butterfly” contest was organized instead, marking 40 years of designating Maria Biesu the best Chio-Chio-San in the world.