Burchuladze Paata
Paata Burchuladze (born February 12, 1955, Tbilisi) is a singer (bass) and People's Artist of Georgia (1985).
In 1978, he graduated from the V. Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire, vocal faculty (D. Khelashvili’s class), and also from the Tbilisi Technical University, Faculty of Civil Engineering. From 1978 to 1981, he completed a training in Italy at the La Scala Theatre in Milan.
Since 1981, he has been a soloist at the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. He has performed the following roles: Tarieli (O. Taktakishvili’s The Abduction of the Moon), Makari (V. Dolidze’s Keto and Kote), Marquis (G. Kancheli’s And There Was Music), Mephistopheles (Ch. Gounod’s Faust, and A. Boito’s Mefistofele), King René (P. Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta), Leporello (W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni), Don Basilio (G. Rossini’s The Barber of Seville), Ramphis, Pharaoh, Banco, Zaccaria, Philip II, Pogano, Count Walter (G. Verdi’s Aida, Macbeth, Nabucco, Don Carlos, Lombardi, Luisa Miller), among many others.
He maintains an active concert career abroad (Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the USA, India, Japan, etc.). He has performed at leading opera theaters and concert halls around the world (Milan’s La Scala, London’s Covent Garden, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, and others). He also has a rich chamber music repertoire, including romances by M. Mussorgsky, S. Rachmaninov, and others. Burchuladze has collaborated with the world’s greatest conductors (J. Kakhidze, C. Abbado, H. von Karajan, L. Maazel, Z. Mecta, etc.).
He possesses a unique timbre, a vast vocal and artistic range, a high level of performing culture, and an ability for original stage interpretation.
Burchuladze is one of the most prominent singers of contemporary times. Since 1984, he has been teaching at the Tbilisi Conservatoire. Since 1987, he has been the president of the Georgian Music Society.
Since 1997, he has been living and working mainly in Europe.
He has received several prestigious awards: the State Prize of Georgia (1982), the I. Gogebashvili Prize (1991), the Z. Paliashvili Prize (1991), and the Shota Rustaveli Prize (1992). He also won many international competitions, including the Verdi Voices International Competition (1981, Italy, Busseto, 2nd prize), the Pyotr Tchaikovsky International Competition (Moscow, 1982, 1st prize), the Luciano Pavarotti International Competition (Philadelphia, USA, 1985), and the Maria Callas International Competition (1986, Frankfurt, Germany, 1st prize).
In 1986, his fans established a club in his name in Vienna (almost 100 members).
He was awarded the Order of Honor of Georgia (2003), the Golden Medal of St. George (2010), Austria’s First Class Cross, and the Second Class Order of Italy for his contributions to arts and sciences.
He is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador (2006) and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador (2010).
He founded the Bravo International Festival in Georgia (1998) and the Iavnana Charitable Foundation (2007) for orphaned and underprivileged children. Many charitable concerts were held under this foundation’s aegis, with participation from internationally recognized vocalists.
In 1987, Burchuladze was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Philadelphia and received the symbolic key to the city, the Liberty Bell.
L. Esadze
