Zurab Sotkilava biography personal life. The magical voice of Zurab Sotkilava. Illness and death

Sotkilava Zurab Lavrentievich is an outstanding contemporary opera soloist and teacher. His life is an example of determination and incredible willpower.

Youth. Rising football star of the USSR

Zurab Sotkilava was born in March 1937 in the city of Sukhumi (now Sukhum), which was then part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

The singer recalls that his mother and grandmother sang and played the guitar very well. Sometimes they sat down near the house and began to sing old songs and Georgian romances, and the future opera soloist sang along with them.

Zurab Sotkilava, whose life sport also played an important role in, did not think about a musical path in his childhood and youth. He was fond of football and managed to show himself well. The young man joined the Sukhumi Dynamo team. Zurab Sotkilava played in it as a full-back, but often supported attacks on the opponent’s goal. In 1956, the young athlete became captain of the youth team of the Georgian SSR. That same year, Georgian football players won the national championship. And in 1958, Zurab was invited to play for the Dynamo team from Tbilisi.

The parents did not share their son’s passion for football and tried to direct him towards the path of music. One day, the Sotkilav family was given a violin, and the parents found a teacher for the child. Zurab tried to learn to play this instrument for a month. Then a piano appeared in the house, but at the age of 12 it was too late to learn to play it. Parents wanted to identify Zurab in music school in cello class, but he again refused. He was accepted into a singing class there, but the teenager did not study very diligently and liked to run away from school to the stadium.

The most memorable meeting for Zurab was his last match for Dynamo, in which his team faced Dynamo from Moscow. In that match, the Muscovites' goal was guarded by the legendary Lev Yashin, and one of the attackers was Valery Urin. The Tbilisi team lost this match with a score of 1:3. Zurab Sotkilava really met Lev Yashin only later, when he became an opera soloist. The young footballer was injured while playing in Yugoslavia, and in 1959 another injury ended his career in the sport.

The beginning of the journey in the theater

In 1958, footballer of the Tbilisi Dynamo team Zurab Sotkilava came briefly to visit his relatives in Sukhumi. At this time, pianist Valeria Razumovskaya came to visit them, who always believed that the young man could become talented singer. She convinced him to go to an audition with a professor at the Tbilisi Conservatory, who was just in Sukhumi.

At first, the professor was not impressed by Zurab’s voice. But chance intervened. The professor loved football, but it was difficult to get tickets to Dynamo matches, so Zurab began to get them for him. As payment, the musician agreed to give him lessons. After just a few lessons, the professor told Zurab that he had a future in opera. At first the young man did not take it seriously, but after the second injury he started thinking about music.

In 1960, Zurab Sotkilava graduated from the Tbilisi Polytechnic Institute, Faculty of Mining, and a day after defending his diploma, he passed the entrance exams to the conservatory of the capital of Georgia.

Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater

Sotkilava recalled that one day, before taking music lessons, he heard on the radio a broadcast of Mario del Monaco’s performance in the opera Carmen, which shocked him. At the conservatory, Zurab Sotkilava began singing as a baritone. But Professor David Yasonovich Andzuladze corrected this mistake. The young man became a tenor. In 1965, singer Zurab Sotkilava made his debut on stage largest theater his republic - the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater. In Giacomo Puccini's Tosca he sang the role of Cavaradossi. The singer was part of the troupe of this theater until 1974.

Dinaro Barra

A year after his debut, he went on an internship at Milan's La Scala theater, which took two years. At that time, many outstanding artists sang on the Milan stage, among them he was already starting his creative path Pavarotti. teacher Georgian singer was maestro Dinaro Barra.

After the internship, Zurab performed triumphantly and took first place at the Bulgarian competition for young singers “Golden Orpheus”. In 1970 he became second at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition and winner in Spain. The singer received recognition in his homeland - in 1970 he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR, and three years later - People's Artist.

World recognition

For the first time in 1972, Zurab Lavrentievich appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater at a concert dedicated to the centenary of the outstanding opera soloist Leonid Sabinov. At the end of 1973, Zurab Sotkilava again performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, where he sang the role of Jose in the opera Carmen. After the performance, theater director Kirill Molchanov approached the artist and offered to join the permanent cast.

IN next year Zurab became a permanent artist at the Bolshoi Theater. He recalls that the support of his colleagues from Moscow helped him in this. In 1974, the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Othello” took place in Moscow, where the singer performed main role. Following it is Pietro Mascagni’s “Honor Rusticana,” where Zurab Sotkilava sang the part of Turiddu.

Europe and USA

In the 1970s, Georgian Opera singer became a figure recognized by opera lovers around the world. He sang in theaters in Paris, Milan, and US cities. The United States press wrote rave reviews about it. In 1979, singer Zurab Sotkilava received the title. During these years, the maestro sang the parts of Radames from Verdi’s Aida, Jose from Carmen, Manrico from Il Trovatore, Vaudemont from Iolanta, and the Pretender from Boris Godunov. He does not forget about his roots: on the stage of the theater in Tbilisi he sang in the operas “Abessalom and Eteri” by Zakhary Paliashvili and “The Rape of the Moon” by Otar Taktakishvili.

Teacher

In the mid-1970s, Zurab Sotkilava began teaching. From 1976 to 1988 he read opera singing at the Moscow Conservatory and became a professor in 1987. In 2002, he returned to teaching at the conservatory. Among the maestro's students is tenor Vladimir Bogachev, who collaborates with La Scala and other world-class theaters. Another student, baritone Vladimir Redkin, has been performing on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater for thirty years. Among the younger students of Zurab Lavrentievich is the tenor of the Bolshoi Theater Alexey Dolgov.

Illness and overcoming

Zurab Sotkilava, whose biography includes many difficult pages, at the beginning of 2015 learned about terrible diagnosis- pancreatic cancer. A little earlier, the maestro noticed that he began to lose weight sharply. On January 19, he was forced to cancel the concert, and on the 20th the diagnosis was confirmed. The singer was operated on in Germany on January 30, and then he underwent chemotherapy in Moscow. The singer and members of his family (they married Eliso Turmanidze in 1965 and gave birth to two daughters - Teya and Keti) for a long time they didn’t want to talk about the disease, and it became public knowledge in the spring of 2015.

Zurab Sotkilava trained his voice to regain his previous vocal abilities. I resumed classes with students at the conservatory. In 2015, he returned to the stage. At the end of October 2015, Zurab Lavrentievich performed at a concert dedicated to him, which was held in Moscow. At the beginning of 2016, Zurab Lavrentievich performed at a concert in memory of Elena Obraztsova, a singer with whom he had many years of friendship and joint performances.

Our hero says about himself that he has fulfilled all his dreams. At the same time, he continues to perform and notes that when he sings, happier person can't be found in the whole world. He considers the stage of the Bolshoi Theater his second home.

Opera singer, lyricist dramatic tenor, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia, People's Artist of the USSR and Georgian SSR Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava was born on March 12, 1937 in the city of Sukhumi (Abkhazia). Father - Lavrentiy Sotkilava - was a historian, mother - Ksenia Karchava - worked as a doctor.

Since childhood, Zurab was fond of football. At the age of 16, he joined the junior team of the Georgian national team, then became its captain. In 1956, the team won the All-Union competition, and Sotkilava was accepted into the main team of Dynamo Tbilisi.

Zurab began studying singing at a young age with Nikolai Bokuchava, a professor at the Tbilisi Conservatory. The classes took place between football practices and games. After the injury, Sotkilava could no longer continue to play football, and then he decided to devote himself entirely to singing.

In 1960, after graduating from the mining faculty of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, he was admitted to the Tbilisi State Conservatory named after

V. Sarajishvili. At first, his voice was identified as a baritone, but while studying in his third year, Sotkilava ended up in the class of David Andguladze, who discovered the student’s lyric-dramatic tenor, which determined the young singer’s further achievements.

In 1965, Zurab Sotkilava successfully graduated from the Tbilisi Conservatory, and in 1972 - graduate school at the Tbilisi Conservatory.

After graduating from the conservatory, he was accepted into the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater named after Z. Paliashvili. Here Sotkilava made a successful debut, performing leading roles in various operas, including “Tosca” and “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini, “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi, national operas “Abesalom and Eteri” by Zakharia Paliashvili, “Mindia” by Otar Taktakishvili and others.

In 1966-1968, Zurab Sotkilava, as a promising performer, trained at the La Scala theater under the direction of Gennaro Barra and Enrico Piazza, where he prepared the roles of the Duke in the opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, Jose in Carmen by Georges Bizet, Turrida in "Rural Honor" by Pietro Mascagni. After this, in Italy he began to be called one of the best interpreters of Italian opera classics.

In 1973, Sotkilava made his debut in Bolshoi Theater as Jose in the opera Carmen.

In 1974, the singer was invited to join the Bolshoi Theater opera troupe.

In the Bolshoi different years he performed the roles of Manrico in the opera Il Trovatore, Radamès in Aida, Richard in Un ballo in Masquerade, Ishmael in Nabucco and Othello in the opera of the same name by Giuseppe Verdi, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, Turiddu in Honor Rusticana "Pietro Mascagni. The singer’s repertoire also includes Russian operas: “Iolanta” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, “Sadko” by Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov, “Boris Godunov” and “Khovanshchina” by Modest Mussorgsky. Zurab Sotkilava was the first performer of the roles of Baron Calloandro in Giovanni Paisiello's The Beautiful Miller's Wife and Arzakan in Otar Taktakishvili's The Rape of the Moon.

In 1995, he took part in the premiere of the first production of the opera Khovanshchina in the history of the Bolshoi Theater, as revised by Dmitry Shostakovich, performing the role of Golitsyn. He also performed this role in the production of Khovanshchina at the Bolshoi Theater in 2002.

Sotkilava has repeatedly performed on the stages of the best opera houses world - La Scala, London Royal Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Dresden Opera, Norwegian Opera, Bologna Teatro Communale, Liceu opera houses in Barcelona and La Fenice in Venice. In 1970-1990, the tenor made large concert tours in the cities of Europe, Great Britain, the USA and Japan.

IN last years solo performances singer pass in concert halls Moscow and St. Petersburg, almost all major cities of Russia and neighboring countries. The concert repertoire includes not only opera arias, but also romances by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, cycles German composers Strauss and Wolf, Georgian and Russian folk songs, Italian and Spanish songs.

Zurab Sotkilava is teaching. In 1976-1988 he worked at the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky at the department solo singing, since 1987 - professor of the department. Since 2002, Sotkilava resumed teaching at the conservatory. Among the master's students are Vladimir Bogachev, Vladimir Redkin, Alexander Fedin and many others.

Sotkilava was the creator and presenter of the TV series “Masters” opera stage" and "Opera Lovers Club".

Zurab Sotkilava has received many prizes and awards. In 1973, the singer was awarded the title People's Artist of the Georgian SSR, and in 1983 he was awarded the title People's Artist of the USSR.

In 1968 he was awarded the first prize and the Golden Orpheus prize at the IX World Festival youth and students in Sofia. In 1970, he received 2nd prize and a silver medal at the IV International Competition named after P.I. Tchaikovsky in Moscow, Grand Prix and first prize International competition vocalists named after Francisco Viñas in Barcelona.

For a brilliant interpretation of the works of Verdi Bolognese music academy elected Zurab Sotkilava as an honorary member.

In 1983, he became a laureate of the State Prize of the Georgian SSR named after Z. Paliashvili, and in 1998 he received the State Prize of the Republic of Georgia named after Sh. Rustaveli.

Sotkilava in the region musical art for 2007 in the category "Classical Music".

Zurab Sotkilava was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor (1971), the Red Banner of Labor (1976). The singer was awarded the Order of Russia - "For Services to the Fatherland" IV degree (2001), III degree (2007); two Orders of Honor of the Republic of Georgia (1997, 2007).

Zurab Sotkilava met his wife, Eliso Turmanidze, at the Tbilisi Conservatory, from which she graduated in piano with honors. The tenor's family had two daughters - Thea (born in 1967) and Ketino (born in 1971). Both daughters graduated from Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. Youngest daughter Ketino was a co-author of some music programs father on television.

IN free time singer, as well as others game types sports

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources.

10.05.2018 08:47

This man always knew how to get what he wanted. He played football, sang, sought after his beloved - and all at the highest level!..

Eliso Turmanidze and Zurab Sotkilava were united by music, but their origins almost separated them. But love conquers all! And only death separated these people, because on September 18 of this year Zurab Lavrentievich left...

In the past, Zurab Sotkilava was a professional football player. Since childhood he dreamed of making brilliant career in this domain. And in the breaks between matches and training, he sang.

He entered the Polytechnic Institute, where he planned to receive the profession of survey engineer. And then he became a student at the Tbilisi Conservatory.

Here Zurab met his future wife. He immediately decided that she would become his beloved, and told everyone about it except Eliso herself. The girl studied piano, but did not know about Zurab’s sympathy. And one day she approached him herself. So they started spending time together.

When Eliso wanted to introduce the guy to her family, there was an embarrassment: her aunt was proud to bear the surname Bagrationi, but distorted Zurab’s simple surname and mocked him. And she didn’t know that she would soon love this man tenderly, as he would become part of the family and glorify his surname throughout the world.

When the young people decided to legalize the relationship, Zurab’s teacher unexpectedly opposed this union, who was afraid that family and routine would distract the singer from the opera. First, he had to complete his studies at the conservatory, learn the opera “Tosca”... Zurab did just that.

After the wedding, the couple worked together: Zurab sang to the accompaniment of his wife. But then Thea appeared in the family, then Katevan. And the singer needed attention, so the pianist decided to become a housewife.

The famous opera singer Zurab Sotkilava died in Moscow at the age of 80. Previously, the singer announced that he had pancreatic cancer.

The famous opera singer, People's Artist of the USSR Zurab Sotkilava died in Moscow at the age of 81.

The death of the great tenor was reported CEO Bolshoi Theater Vladimir Urin.

“Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava, a wonderful artist of the Bolshoi Theater, died. He had a serious illness, which he fought to the end,” said Urin.

The singer's wife Eliso Turmanidze reported that Sotkilava died tonight in a Moscow clinic. He has been in intensive care for the past three weeks.

The farewell and funeral of the tenor will take place in Georgia.

In 2015, Zurab Sotkilava announced that he had pancreatic cancer.

Zurab Sotkilava has worked at the Bolshoi Theater since 1974 and has repeatedly performed in the best theaters world, was a teacher, professor at the Moscow Conservatory. He was an honorary academician of the Bologna Academy of Arts "for his subtle and deep interpretation of Verdi's works." For many years of activity, Zurab Sotkilava has been awarded many high awards. He was awarded the State Prize of Georgia. Shota Rustaveli is a holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV, III and II degrees.

Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava (Georgian: ზურაბ სოტკილავა) born March 12, 1937 in Sukhumi.

IN early years I had no intention of becoming a musician. WITH early childhood played football, at the age of 16 he ended up in Dynamo Sukhumi, where he played as a full-back, getting involved a lot in attacks.

In 1956, he became captain of the Georgian national team under the age of 20, with which he won the USSR championship.

“I didn’t doubt for a second: I would always do only one thing - play football. And to this day, of all the achievements of my life, I am most proud of the fact that when I was captain of the Georgian youth team, we became champions Soviet Union", he said.

In 1955, he joined the main team of Dynamo Tbilisi and made his debut in the match against Shakhtar. Severe injuries received in 1958 in Yugoslavia and in 1959 in Czechoslovakia led to the end of his sports career.

He took up music at the age of 13 at the request of his mother. “My mother made me study music. And in a very cruel way. You could say forcefully. Classical music she adored it, just like her grandmother, she sang and played the guitar superbly, and dreamed of introducing me to this art,” the artist recalled.

In 1960 he graduated from the Tbilisi Polytechnic Institute (mining and geological department), then, at the insistence of Professor N.V. Bokuchava, he entered the Tbilisi Conservatory (class of David Andguladze).

In 1965 he graduated from the conservatory, and in 1972 - graduate school at the conservatory.

In 1965-1974 - soloist of the Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater named after Z. Paliashvili.

From 1966 to 1968 he trained at Milan's La Scala theater with Dinaro Barra.

In 1973 he made his debut at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow as Jose (Carmen by J. Bizet), and in 1974 he joined the theater's opera troupe.

In 1976-1988 he taught at the Moscow Conservatory, and since 1987 he has been a professor in the department of solo singing.

In 2002 he returned to teaching at the Moscow Conservatory. Among the students are V. Bogachev, V. Redkin, A. Fedin and others.

Zurab Sotkilava's disease

In July 2015 he announced that he was seriously ill cancer. Doctors diagnosed him with a malignant tumor of the pancreas.

As the singer said, he began to rapidly lose weight, and pain appeared in the heart and stomach.

Zurab Sotkilava was operated on in one of the clinics in Germany. “When my family and I found out that I had cancer, we decided that we would not tell anyone about it. I managed to get to Germany very quickly for surgery, my wife was next to me at the clinic the whole time. My daughters dropped everything and flew from Madrid. I was preparing for the worst, I told them how they would live without me. When they brought me to the operation, the surgeons began to sing one of the songs from my repertoire, I laughed and at that moment they put a mask on me,” he said.

Then he underwent a course of chemotherapy at the Moscow Oncology Center. Blokhina.

After an operation in Germany and a course of treatment in Russia, the singer returned to creative activity.

Personal life of Zurab Sotkilava:

He was married to Eliso Turmanidze. The singer recalled how they met: “I sang at the exam - not yet as a tenor, but as a baritone. And Eliso heard rumors that a young football player from Dynamo Tbilisi was a good singer, and she decided to see for herself. to the concert. After finishing, she came up to me and praised me: “You performed very well.” future wife For the first time she brought me to her home, there was an embarrassment. The fact is that Eliso is of princely blood, from an ancient family. Her aunt's last name is Bagrationi." They got married in Tbilisi on July 17, 1965.

The marriage produced two daughters: Teya Sotkilava and Keti Sotkilava.

The singer is survived by his granddaughter Katie and grandson Levan.

Repertoire of Zurab Sotkilava:

Richard (Un ballo in maschera by Giuseppe Verdi);
Manrico (Il Trovatore by G. Verdi);
Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca by G. Puccini);
Vaudemont (Iolanta by P. Tchaikovsky);
Radames (“Aida” by G. Verdi);
Indian Guest (“Sadko” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov);
Arzakan (“The Abduction of the Moon” by O. Taktakishvili) - first performer;
Othello (“Othello” by G. Verdi);
Richard (Un ballo in maschera by G. Verdi);
Turiddu (“Rural Honor” by P. Mascagni);
Baron Calloandro (“The Beautiful Miller’s Wife” by G. Paisiello) - the first performer at the Bolshoi Theater;
The Impostor (“Boris Godunov” by M. Mussorgsky);
Golitsyn (“Khovanshchina” by M. Mussorgsky);
Ishmael (Nabucco by G. Verdi)

Opera singer, lyric-dramatic tenor, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia, National artist USSR and Georgian SSR Zurab Lavrentievich Sotkilava was born on March 12, 1937 in the city of Sukhumi (now Sukhum, Republic of Abkhazia). His father, Lavrenty Sotkilava, was a historian, his mother, Ksenia Karchava, worked as a doctor.

Vocal Zurab with Tbilisi Conservatory professor Nikolai Bokuchava. The classes took place between football practices and games. After an injury received in 1959, Sotkilava could no longer continue playing football and decided to devote himself to opera singing.

In 1960, after graduating from the mining department of the Georgian Polytechnic Institute, he was admitted to the Tbilisi State Conservatory named after V. Sarajishvili. At first, his voice was identified as a baritone, but while studying in his third year, Sotkilava ended up in the class of David Andguladze, who discovered the student’s lyric-dramatic tenor, which determined the young singer’s further achievements.

In 1965, Zurab Sotkilava graduated from the Tbilisi Conservatory, and in 1972 - graduate school at the Tbilisi Conservatory.

After graduating from the conservatory, he was accepted into the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater named after Z. Paliashvili. He made a successful debut, performing leading roles in various operas, including “Tosca” and “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini, “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi, national operas “Abesalom and Eteri” by Zakharia Paliashvili, “Mindia” by Otar Taktakishvili and others.

In 1966-1968, Zurab Sotkilava trained at the La Scala theater under the direction of Gennaro Barra and Enrico Piazza, where he prepared the roles of the Duke in the opera Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, Jose in Carmen by Georges Bizet, Turrida in Honor Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni . After this, in Italy he began to be called one of the best interpreters of Italian opera classics.

In 1973, Sotkilava made his debut at the Bolshoi Theater as Jose in the opera Carmen.

In 1974, the singer was invited to join the Bolshoi Theater opera troupe.

At the Bolshoi over the years he performed the roles of Manrico in the opera Il Trovatore, Radames in Aida, Richard in Un ballo in maschera, Ishmael in Nabucco and Othello in the opera of the same name by Giuseppe Verdi, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca by Giacomo Puccini , Turiddu in "Rural Honor" by Pietro Mascagni. The singer's repertoire included Russian operas "Iolanta" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, "Sadko" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, "Boris Godunov" and "Khovanshchina" by Modest Mussorgsky. Zurab Sotkilava was the first performer of the roles of Baron Calloandro in Giovanni Paisiello's The Beautiful Miller's Wife and Arzakan in Otar Taktakishvili's The Rape of the Moon.

In 1995, the singer took part in the premiere of the first production of the opera “Khovanshchina” in the history of the Bolshoi Theater, as revised by Dmitry Shostakovich, performing the role of Golitsyn. He also performed this role in the production of Khovanshchina at the Bolshoi Theater in 2002.

Sotkilava has repeatedly performed on the stages of the best opera houses in the world: La Scala, the Royal London Opera, the Bavarian State Opera, the Dresden Opera, the Norwegian Opera, the Bolognese Teatro Communale, the Liceu opera houses in Barcelona and La Fenice in Venice. In 1970-1990, the tenor made large concert tours in the cities of Europe, Great Britain, the USA and Japan.

In recent years, the singer's solo performances have taken place in concert halls in Moscow and St. Petersburg, cities in Russia and neighboring countries. The concert repertoire included not only opera arias, but also romances by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, cycles by German composers Strauss and Wolf, Georgian and Russian folk songs, Italian and Spanish songs.

Zurab Sotkilava led teaching activities. In 1976-1988 he worked at the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky at the department of solo singing, since 1987 he has been a professor of the department. In 2002, Sotkilava resumed teaching at the conservatory. Among the master’s students are Vladimir Bogachev, Vladimir Redkin, Alexander Fedin and many others.

The work of Zurab Sotkilava has been recognized with many prizes and awards. In 1973, the singer was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Georgian SSR, and in 1983 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR.

In 1968, Zurab Sotkilava was awarded the first prize and the Golden Orpheus prize at the IX World Festival of Youth and Students in Sofia. In 1970, he received 2nd prize and a silver medal at the IV International Competition named after P.I. Tchaikovsky in Moscow, Grand Prix and first prize at the Francisco Viñas International Vocal Competition in Barcelona.

For his interpretation of Verdi's works, the Bologna Academy of Music elected Zurab Sotkilava as an honorary member.

In 1983, he became a laureate of the State Prize of the Georgian SSR named after Z. Paliashvili, and in 1998 he received the State Prize of the Republic of Georgia named after Sh. Rustaveli.