Khibla Gerzmava was born in 1970 in Pitsunda. In 1989 she graduated from the Sukhumi Music College in piano, in 1994 - from the Moscow Conservatory in solo singing (with Professor I. Maslennikova and Professor E. Arefyeva), in 1996 - graduate school with I. Maslennikova. She also took an optional organ class for three years.

During her studies, she won a number of prizes at prestigious international competitions: “Verdi Voices” in Busseto (III prize), named after. N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov in St. Petersburg (II prize), named after. F. Vinyasa in Spain (II prize). The singer achieved her greatest success on X International competition them. P.I. Tchaikovsky in Moscow in 1994, winning the Grand Prix - the only one in the entire more than half-century history of this competition.

Since 1995, Khibla Gerzmava has been a soloist of the Moscow Academic Musical Theater named after. K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko (she made her debut as Musetta in Puccini’s opera “La Bohème”). The singer's repertoire includes parts in the operas "Ruslan and Lyudmila" by Glinka, "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", "The Snow Maiden", "The Golden Cockerel" and "The Tsar's Bride" by Rimsky-Korsakov, "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky, "The Moor" by Stravinsky, "Betrothal" in the Monastery" by Prokofiev, "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Don Giovanni" by Mozart, "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini, "Lucia di Lammermoor", "Elisir of Love" and "Don Pasquale" by Donizetti, "Rigoletto", "La Traviata", "Ballo" masquerade" and "Falstaff" by Verdi and a number of others, in the operetta "Die Fledermaus" by J. Strauss.

With the theater Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, the singer toured in Korea, the USA and other countries. Sang on stages Mariinsky Theater, Teatro Comunale in Florence, Grand Teatro de Liceu in Barcelona, ​​Sofia National Opera in Bulgaria, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Covent Garden Theater in London, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Japan and others.

Khibla Gerzmava constantly performs concert programs. The singer's concert repertoire includes Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Requiems by Mozart and Verdi, oratorios by Handel ("Judas Maccabeus") and Haydn ("Creation of the World", "The Seasons"), Bach's "Coffee Cantata"; vocal cycles of Schumann (“Love and Life of a Woman”), R. Strauss (“Four Last Songs”), Ravel (“Scheherazade”); romances by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Myaskovsky, Ippolitov-Ivanov.

The singer was applauded by the halls of Russia, Sweden, France, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Greece, Turkey, the USA, and Japan. Collaborates with V. Spivakov and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia and the Moscow Virtuosi, A. Rudin and the Musica Viva orchestra, V. Gergiev, V. Fedoseev, A. Lazarev, M. Pletnev, V. Sinaisky, Yu. Bashmet, L. Maazel. Participant of festivals in Ludwigsburg (Germany; performed the role of Eve in “The Creation of the World” by J. Haydn and the role of the Guardian Angel in the opera “Imagination of Soul and Body” by E. de Cavalieri), in Colmar (France), “Vladimir Spivakov Invites...” , “Dedication...” in the State Tretyakov Gallery, ArsLonga and others. She has recorded several CDs: Ave Maria, “Khibla Gerzmava Performs Russian Romances”, “Oriental Romances of Khibla Gerzmava” and others.

The singer is one of the organizers of the Festival classical music“Khibla Gerzmava invites”, which has been held in Abkhazia since 2001. She was a member of the jury of the Valeria Barsova Competition in Sochi and the “Competition of Competitions” at the Sobinovsky Festival in Saratov.

The art of Khibla Gerzmav has received many awards. She is a laureate of the Moscow Opera Festival theater award (2000) in the “Best Singer” category, and a laureate of the “Golden Orpheus” theater award (2001) in the “Best Singer of the Year” category. In 2006 she was awarded the titles of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and People's Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia.

She was awarded the Russian Opera Casta Diva Award and the National Theater Award " Golden Mask"for performing the part of Lucia in the performance of the theater. K.S. Stanislavsky and V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko “Lucia di Lammermoor”, Moscow City Prize for the performance of leading roles in the operas “La Traviata”, “Lucia di Lammermoor” and in the concert performance “An Evening of Classical Operetta”. In September and October, Khibla Gerzmava made a brilliant debut on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera in Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffmann (Antonia/Stella).

The singer constantly performs concert programs. The singer's concert and chamber repertoire includes Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Requiems by Mozart and Verdi, oratorios by Handel ("Judas Maccabeus") and Haydn ("Creation of the World", The Seasons), "Coffee Cantata" by Bach; vocal cycles of Schumann (“Love and Life of a Woman”), R. Strauss (“Four Last Songs”), Ravel (“Scheherazade”); romances by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Myaskovsky, Ippollitov-Ivanov.

Khibla Gerzmav was applauded by the halls of Russia, Sweden, France, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Greece, Turkey, the USA, and Japan. She collaborates with V. Spivakov and his orchestras “Moscow Virtuosi” and the National Philharmonic, A. Rudin and the Musica viva orchestra, V. Gergiev, V. Fedoseev, A. Lazarev, M. Pletnev, V. Sinaisky, Yu. Bashmet, L .Maazel. Participant of festivals in Ludwigsburg (Germany; performed the role of Eve in “The Creation of the World” by J. Haydn and the role of the Guardian Angel in the opera “Imagination of Soul and Body” by E. de Cavalieri), in Colmar (France), “Vladimir Spivakov Invites...” , “Dedication...” in the State Tretyakov Gallery, ArsLonga, etc. She has recorded several CDs: Ave Maria, “Khibla Gerzmava performs Russian romances,” “Oriental romances of Khibla Gerzmava,” etc.

The singer is one of the organizers of the Classical Music Festival “Khibla Gerzmava Invites”, which has been held in Abkhazia since 2001. Takes part in the work of the jury of international competitions: them. Barsova in Sochi, the “Competition of Competitions” at the Sobinovsky Festival in Saratov, etc.

The art of Khibla Gerzmav has received many awards. She is a laureate of the Moscow Opera Festival theater prize (2000) in the category “Best Singer”; laureate of the Golden Orpheus 2001 theater award in the category “Best Singer of the Year”. In 2006 she was awarded the titles of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and People's Artist of Abkhazia.

The year 2010 was especially generous with memorable events in the singer’s biography.

She was awarded the Russian Opera Award Casta Diva and the National Theater Award "Golden Mask" for her performance of the role of Lucia in the performance of the Theater. K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko “Lucia di Lammermoor”, Moscow City Prize for the performance of leading roles in the operas “La Traviata”, “Lucia di Lammermoor” and in the concert performance “An Evening of Classical Operetta”. In September-October, Khibla Gerzmava made a brilliant debut on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera in Offenbach's opera The Tales of Hoffmann (Antonia/Stella, 7 performances).

Many titles and awards, stylish dresses, shimmering diamonds around the neck, huge baskets of flowers, the adoration of the public of various nationalities, as well as immense hard work, endurance and perseverance. All this is an opera singer with Abkhaz roots Khibla Gerzmava. From the outside, her life seems like a fairy tale, but on the way to this fairy tale, the singer had to overcome more than one obstacle. And sometimes personal life of Khibla Gerzmava became the sacrifice that had to be sacrificed on the altar of art.

The biography of Khibla Gerzmava began 46 years ago in Pitsunda. In addition to her, the family of the senior boarding house administrator and translator also has a son. The entire family of the future opera star had musical abilities and hearing. True, for a long time Khibla Gerzmava was preparing precisely for the career of a musician, and not a vocalist. She has been attracted to the organ since childhood. By the way, she still managed to master the instrument. Because of her love for music, the singer’s childhood was filled not only with joy and celebration, but also with everyday work, because in music school I had to get to neighboring Gagra. Having also graduated from a music school with a degree in piano after school, Khibla Gerzmava decided to enter the Moscow Conservatory. This educational institution- the dream of her mother who passed away early. By the way, in an interview, the singer admitted that she acquired a real deep and colorful voice just after this tragic event, and subsequently, almost all tragedies and troubles in her personal life somehow had a beneficial effect on her voice. Two years after her mother, her father also left, and therefore, from her early years at the conservatory, Khibla Gerzmava was forced to independently overcome the difficulties and hardships associated with life in the capital. But such a frantic rhythm, when she worked obscured everything else, very quickly put the singer on a pedestal. While still a student, she won prizes at festivals, and therefore it is not surprising that after receiving her diploma she became a singer at the Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater. It became a second home and an additional school for her, because it was here that the singer honed her acting skills, stage presence, and style. And even now, performing on the most famous stages around the world, Khibla Gerzmava does not forget about home.

As for her personal life, the singer is cheerful and cheerful in everyday life. open man with a great sense of humor. In her environment, by Khibla Gerzmava’s own admission, male friends predominate, and women can be counted on one hand, but all of them are time-tested and situation-tested people who can be relied on. The singer willingly spends her free time with friends. But above all, she is a mother to her only son, Alexander. Today he is already eighteen years old. Despite inherited musical abilities and experience on stage, acquired in the theater’s children’s choir, he did not follow in his mother’s footsteps. Almost nothing is known about Khibla Gerzmava’s husband. For a long time Judging by the singer’s interview, they had a strong and harmonious family, but the couple have not lived together for several years. Naturally, Khibla Gerzmava tries to pass over the reasons for this decision in silence.
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I felt the most obvious timbre changes for the better after the birth of my son, that is, 12 years ago. I was glad that the voice became softer, less flattened in sound, and the slightest tremolation, which sometimes bothered me, disappeared. The process of “rounding” may continue, but now I consider myself a lyric-coloratura soprano, with an emphasis on the “lyric”. This brings some adjustments in terms of the repertoire; I’m no longer going to sing Shemakhanskaya or the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute. But I’m not going to switch to very “strong” roles like “Madama Butterfly”, “Tosca”, “Norma” or even Elizabeth in “Don Carlo”. I am one of those singers who is careful when choosing a repertoire; at my age this is especially important in order to keep my voice fresh. Gilda or Juliet are no longer needed, but Lucia, Violetta or Mimi are mine now.

- The last premiere at my native Theater was three roles at once in “The Tales of Hoffmann” by J. Offenbach. Is this “audacity” your initiative or the director’s intention?

Few singers in the world dare to perform these three roles in one evening, or rather even four, counting final scene Stella, they are so different both in sound and in acting tasks. Among contemporary colleagues, Diana Damrau immediately comes to mind, she wonderfully sang all these heroines in the performance of the Bavarian Opera. I didn’t have such an idea either, Alexander Borisovich Titel suggested, even persuaded me, thanks to him.

Olympia is not 100% my role. But the more I sing it, the better it turns out, because the range allows it, and I really like making such a childish, touching doll.

- Yes, I noted this in the review of the premiere, Khibla’s obvious comic gift, which, unfortunately, was little realized. Wouldn’t you like to try something even more naughty – “Don Pasquale”, or “Daughter of the Regiment”?

I would really like to sing Norina in “Don Pascual”, but I don’t think about “Daughter of the Regiment”, it is for a slightly different voice. But it’s true, I don’t have enough comedy roles, I really want to joke and laugh on stage. I regret that they are being removed from the repertoire in Musical theater“Die Fledermaus,” the sly Adele was very close to me.

- Let's talk about your most recent major work - the role of Vitellia in Mozart's La Clemenza di Titus, which you performed at the Paris Grand Opera in September. The French and our reviewers are unanimous in their enthusiastic assessment of you personally. Is this your first encounter with Mozart's music on the opera stage?

Yes, Vitellia is my first major Mozart role. I've read quite a lot historical literature in history Ancient Rome, about the reign of Emperor Titus Flavius. But the main thing, of course, is Mozart’s brilliant music, which seems to be “above the plot.” I came to Paris not just with a memorized part, but with a prepared role. Much became clear to both the director and conductor right away, at the very first rehearsal.

- With whom do you prepare and learn new parts, who is your “outside ear”, so necessary for a singer?

I received a strong vocal foundation that allows me to actively perform with a diverse repertoire and withstand a tough tour schedule at the Moscow Conservatory from my professor Irina Ivanovna Maslennikova. From the third year I was in the chamber ensemble class of Professor Evgenia Mikhailovna Arefieva. She prepared me for the Tchaikovsky Competition, which became a springboard in my creative biography, I work with her, the main accompanist and teacher-tutor of our Theater to this day, preparing roles in performances. Her opinion and “ear” are very valuable to me, I trust her completely.

- Will we hear you in the Russian repertoire in the near future?

In general, it seems to me that Russian opera classics are stingy with parts for lyric-coloratura soprano.

- But what about Rimsky-Korsakov, if not Shemakhanovskaya, then his Marfa in “The Tsar’s Bride” or Volkhova in “Sadko” quite fit this category!

I sing individual arias in concerts with great pleasure. Unfortunately, many of his operas have long since left the Moscow playbill. And in the West, operas by Rimsky-Korsakov are very rare. It so happened that my foreign contracts are related exclusively to western music, they hear me and now invite me to the European repertoire.

- An indispensable question on our portal is about modern opera directing, about your relationship with it. Your formation as an opera actress took place under the hand of A. Titel, a director who is in many ways controversial and ambiguous. But all his productions, thank God, do not allow for the naturalism and rudeness inherent in Western novelties, for which it would be a shame in front of the founding fathers of your Theater - Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. And even Adolf Shapiro, who was invited from the drama and staged “Lucia di Lammermoor” at MAMT, remained faithful to the principles of the conventions of the operatic genre. Contrary to the fears of critics, Your Lucia entered the final wearing a clean, non-bloody dress. This amazing snow-white “coffin dress” itself has a very powerful and unexpected effect.

My Lucia is generally somewhat different than everyone is used to. She also has a different kind of madness – calm, quietly contemplative. The fact that the performance was staged by a master drama theater Adolf Shapiro, freed the production from centuries-old cliches. I have great respect for all the theaters where “Lucia di Lammermoor” is performed, and for all the performers, because the role is indeed very “bloody” in its severity for the singer. But this is precisely why real fans who go to the theater for catharsis, and not for cheap “tricks,” do not need red blood stains on the characters’ clothes. And for me it is also very important to emphasize the development of the image with different sounds and timbre. It’s no secret that there are virtuoso singers who sing the Bel Canto repertoire technically flawlessly, but monotonously from the beginning to the end of the performance. It’s boring for me to listen to such a performance, so I try to be as expressive as possible through vocals. I can always hear if the singer puts a piece of his heart and soul into his performance. If this exists, I can forgive even technical flaws, we are living people, but I avoid cold mechanistic vocals in every possible way, I get tired of listening to such voices. From new emerging names, I expect, first of all, beauty and purity of timbre, and warmth.

- Let's return to opera directing as such. In Moscow, you are lucky to have smart directors who understand the specifics of the genre. What about Europe and America? Did you have to step over any moral or ethical principles?

For now, so as not to jinx it, it’s over! I don’t know how I would react to an offer to participate in an overly frank production. Perhaps I would use my professionalism and try to find something new and interesting. But, to be honest, I’m afraid, I’m not thirsty. I love modern performances, but only those that have taste and do not cross the line of theatrical convention on stage.

- This leads to my most personal question to the singer Khibla Gerzmava, as the mother of a teenage son. Your Sandro is already involved in the theater, sings in the MAMT children's choir, and takes part in performances. How is his relationship with opera?

I brought my son to the theater “to work” primarily in order to spend more time together during my now infrequent visits to Moscow. And then, the theater schedule and rehearsal process are very disciplined, which many people don’t even realize! Now Sandro has begun to experience an age-related mutation in his voice, and he has been transferred to another choir group. But he runs around the stage with great pleasure, and sometimes takes part in the same performances with me. They have to sing different languages, what well. All this liberates the child, but also educates him at the same time. It seems to me that theatrical life also helps him in his studies. He is organized, knows not to be late and let the “team” down - this is an important part of education. I am very grateful to our children’s choir teachers, Tatyana Leonova and Alla Baykova, for the proper work with the children.

- But “backstage dust” is such a contagious sweet poison! What if the guy wants to follow in his footsteps, if not to sing, then to become a dramatic artist?

I'm almost sure that my son won't be a singer. Sandro has already spoken about the dramatic field, and I am not against it in principle, but only after he has fully matured. The most important thing is to guide the child, and then he will think and choose. The boy is good at mathematics and his head is inclined towards the exact sciences - we will orient him towards this.

- What, in your opinion, should be shown to adults who are still children in modern musical theater, and what should we refrain from doing?

Sandrik with early years hears at home good music: classics, jazz, folk melodies. But I am not a supporter of showing children something difficult for their psyche to perceive. He started going on tour with me when he was still little, and now I try to take him when the holidays coincide. And we always go to see operas live in the best theaters in the world, suitable for age. But, let’s say, I won’t take him to see R. Strauss’ “Salome” yet, even with a star cast.

As he grows up, he will decide what is more interesting to him; fortunately, the choice of opera performances on DVD in excellent quality is now huge. His perception of a teenager changes greatly; in two or three years he will look at many things differently. There are a lot of classics outside the opera genre that I would like to introduce my child to right now - books, films, dramatic performances.

But, by the way, Sandro still looked at our sensational “indecency”, that is, male striptease at the ball “La Traviata” and was not impressed, did not emphasize this point. Much more interesting to him than the naked torsos were the billiard cues in the hands of the dancers. The boy had just started playing billiards, he was very interested in it, and the first thing he noticed was that the young men were dancing with cues in their hands.

He honestly told me that he doesn’t like those performances where my heroines die at the end. Therefore, my best role in the perception of my son is Adina in “Elixir of Love.” I really want this cheerful, witty performance to be resumed at our Musical Theater, having finally learned Italian and recitatives.

- What about the son of “The Tales of Hoffmann” - did you see his smart face with glasses at the premiere?

I really liked it! Especially Doll Olympia: “Mom, you are so funny, cute, you walk like a toy. The ponytails are very good!” But he admitted that he was scared when Olympia lost her eyes and jumped out with black holes on her face in the finale of Act 1.

- At this age, boyish jealousy of any male representatives, in this case, your partners, is very natural.

This, fortunately, is not the case. Firstly, Sandro is in the theater with early childhood, and all my opera lovers are his acquaintances; he communicates with many guys on Facebook. Then, I explained even earlier that this is Theater, such a job. But if I came home, I don’t continue to play like Somerset Maugham’s character, the great actress Julia Lambert, I just loving mother. Having closed the door, I become an ordinary woman: homely, cozy, warm.

- I remember that according to your first college diploma, you were a pianist, and you even took elective organ classes at the Moscow Conservatory. Do you now manage to find time for the piano and maintain your level?

I am always grateful to my piano teachers for the fact that I can still play the instrument today. In general, I think that singers who play any instrument are lucky; they have a more meaningful understanding of sound and a deeper understanding of music. Now I have little time to practice the piano, but at home or in a small circle of friends I can play a little jazz.

- It’s very interesting about jazz. How is it possible to combine opera and jazz singing, these manners are so different, and few even great singers dare to do this?

Listening to and playing jazz music helps me relax. My ears are resting! Working with a microphone is a separate topic, you need to know many nuances, the message of the voice and the sensations are different. I am incredibly happy that there are friends like Daniil Kramer and Yakov Okun with whom we performed together in a jazz program in Pitsunda. With Daniil Kramer there is a solo program, such an exclusive, “Opera, Jazz, Blues,” which we sing on the stage of our theater. This is very meaningful to me and I am very grateful to him.

With Yakov Okun we play music in a slightly different, folk style. For the first time, I heard the Abkhaz folk “Song of the Rock” in his jazz arrangement, for which I am sincerely grateful.

A special page is the ensemble with Denis Matsuev, he is my good, close friend. One of our best modern academic pianists plays jazz improvisations and various hits beautifully. With him, we recently recorded several numbers for New Year's programs on television, full of mischief and humor. You can see them on the evening of December 31st, there will even be a special surprise, I won’t say what it is yet! I hope that Denis and I will go to Pitsunda in May, as part of my annual jazz festival in a team with bassist Andrei Ivanov and drummer Dmitry Sevostyanov. I want to continue my jazz “hobby”.

- Khibla, I don’t want to once again use the word “Star”, which is indecently worn out and vulgarized by all sorts of “manufacturers”. But, just as a documentary fact. You are now in Moscow, perhaps the most famous opera singer. You have your own regular audience, you attract full houses at performances, you can often be seen on television, which for many is the main criterion of popularity. I’m simply silent about your native Abkhazia; probably, even in the mountain villages they know about you and are deservedly proud. And when I communicate, I see a normal woman, without fanabery, and a hard-working vocalist who, without hesitation, talks about an unsuccessful cadence in last performance. When there is continuous popular enthusiasm and magnificent epithets around, how do you manage to keep a “sober” head and not fall into the euphoria of “divism”?

I am always grateful for the wave of positivity coming from the public, from the fans. But I myself understand that everything is never perfect, no matter how hard you try. I take positive emotions“for my own piggy bank,” but I still know what worked and what didn’t. Analysis works clearly for me, and no one “eats” me more than I do myself.

- And if you hear a random false note?

Certainly! I hear and suffer when such a “sin” suddenly appears. I react sharply to inaccurate, usually low intonation in my partners. Singing is both mental, mental and physical work.

- As far as I can tell, you are “friends” with the computer, the Internet, and Facebook. How do you feel about spontaneous postings of your performances on YouTube?

The most annoying thing is when a certain user is so intoxicated by his own importance, and by the fact that he attended an elite event, that he posts absolutely amateurish, low-quality footage on the Internet! Well, how can you listen and watch this if the cheap mobile phone camera in your hands shakes, the image jumps, the sound is worse than from a gramophone record! No, if it’s recorded and filmed with high quality, then for God’s sake, let people hear and watch. But in order to upload your footage for public viewing, you need to have at least basic skills, and not do it half-heartedly just to get noticed.

- What are your impressions of studio work on audio discs?

Recording is always terrible, hellishly difficult. For me, it’s easier to sing a few performances live than to spend a shift in the studio. There are voices that sound very beneficial in sound recordings, but I don’t consider myself one of them. I don’t like myself from the outside and that’s it! Well, except in rare cases.

More than 10 years ago I recorded several Russian programs for a Japanese record company. In particular, she practically rediscovered the cycles of romances by N. Myaskovsky and M. Ippolitov-Ivanov. Now I sing differently, and I’m thinking of recording them again. Another program is planned from our classics: Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov. And also, I would like to release a disc - “everyday” romances of the 19th century: Alyabyev, Varlamov, Gurilev, etc. We made all my chamber music recordings together with an amazing pianist and close friend Ekaterina Ganelina, and I am planning future projects with her.

My main dream is a solo disc of opera arias with the NPR and my beloved maestro Vladimir Spivakov.

And, of course, jazz, my constant tender “weakness”, I have accumulated quite a lot of materials from live concerts, from my festival in Pitsunda, but all the time I am tormented by some “fleas” - imperfections, I would like to rewrite all this in a high-quality manner.

- Purely feminine. I like your concert dresses - they always emphasize only the best in the figure, are interesting in color, different, but united by a certain style.

I have stylists who do costume, hair, and makeup. But if I personally don’t like the proposed option, then I won’t do it at the concert, even if it’s super fashionable. I believe that a woman on stage simply must be beautiful, stylish and well-groomed. The actress must be a Dream - flawless, in the most expensive and exquisite outfit. A good dress gives me the feeling of a straight back, when I feel beautiful - I sing differently!

- Finally, let’s not be original, about creative plans for the coming season.

Just the other day I’m flying to New York for a month to sing La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera in a revival of the classic production by F. Zeffirelli. In my native MAMT I will periodically appear in La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, and The Tales of Hoffmann. In December, the 21st, in the same place, at the Theater there will be an evening called: “Opera, Jazz, Blues.” On February 13, my solo concert is scheduled to take place in Great hall Moscow Conservatory.

And, perhaps, the main expectation at the moment is the upcoming participation in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at London’s Covent Garden in January 2012. This will be my first Donna Anna, but my second, after La Clemenza di Tito, happy meeting with the Genius in one season. Anyone interested in my plans and movements around the world will always find the schedule on the official website. I’ll just add that the dates for the next six months are indicated there, and my tours are scheduled until 2014. These are mainly the MET, Covent Garden, the Vienna Opera and other leading stages in the world. However, I will also sing in Moscow, and in other cities of Russia, and in my native Abkhazia, I promise.

P.S.

In the process of editing the text of the interview, it became known that Khibla Gerzmava was nominated for the highest Russian theater award “Golden Mask” in 2011 as the best opera singer for simultaneously performing all the main female parts in the MAMT production “The Tales of Hoffmann”. We will find out the jury's decision, as always, in the spring. But the very fact of the artist’s nomination inspires optimism - it’s rare that a vocal “almost feat” evokes such a warm response from the audience.

Khibla Gerzmava: Not a single significant theater in the world can still do without Russian singers. We open seasons, we close seasons.

Our singers perform the main roles in the first theaters in the world. Anechka Netrebko, Ildar Abdrazakov, Dima Hvorostovsky. Listen, these are blocks! Why do we sing everywhere? Because we have a wonderful school. I'm very proud of this.

Every time I sing abroad, I feel a huge responsibility, because I represent my country and defend its honor. On the posters of the Metropolitan Opera and Covent Garden it is always written that I am from Russia, but was born in Abkhazia - this is also very important. Still, you need to remember your roots. When a singer doesn’t remember her roots, it’s sad and wrong.

They are wary of Russia, you say? This is politics. But we, artists, are peacemakers. We make politics - kind, friendly.

Olga Shablinskaya, “AiF”: I have heard from the audience more than once: after Khibla Gerzmava’s performances, their souls are light. And where does the opera star herself find joy?

Firstly, the singer must be in love and must be loved. For her voice to sound, a woman must be happy. Without falling in love, it is impossible to caress with sound.

Secondly, home is very important to me. This is my fortress. It’s great when your family and your child make you happy, it gives you an incredibly good energy boost. I have a son, he is 17 years old, I am very proud of him...

I'm generally such a joyful person. Although I also like to be sad. Sometimes I like loneliness, I like to watch beautiful pictures silently somewhere in a museum, read an interesting book in a beautiful binding. I love heaven, I can happily stand at the temple where the bell is ringing and pray, read the “Our Father” several times... This gives cleansing.

I love to smell lilacs or an armful of peonies that a loved one sent me. In general, there are many little things that give life light energy. And, of course, music. Music is prayer, it is higher mathematics.

It’s also important to try something new. We recently shot a mini-film based on Sergei Prokofiev’s romance “The Gray-Eyed King” from the series “Five Poems by Anna Akhmatova,” dedicated to the composer’s 125th anniversary.

I suddenly realized that the camera loved me, and now I want to act in films.

Be strong

Are there any roles that scare you? Prima Svetlana Zakharova told me: when she danced the ballet “Young Man and Death,” she then had the feeling that she had really killed someone.

After one opera, it takes me a week to come to my senses. When I was preparing this role, it was impossible to communicate with me. I was nervous, irritated, somehow angry, vulnerable. I'm talking about the opera "Medea" by Cherubini - Callas sang it brilliantly, amazingly. Medea’s fate is so incredible... I still don’t understand how a woman could, out of love for a man, kill her brother, dismember his body, scatter it along the shore and sail away with her loved one, and then kill her children in order to take revenge on your loved one for your pain.

By the way, it is “Medea” that we will take to Abkhazia this year. The festival “Khibla Gerzmava invites...” is 15 years old - I can’t even believe it!

Khibla Gerzmava. Photo by Vlad Loktev.

- By the way, what field do you see your son in?

We tried to put everything good into Sandro. He is a great student, plays the piano and guitar beautifully. He has an excellent mathematical head. I thought he would go to the Financial Academy or MGIMO. But he theater child, grew up with us in the theater, sang in a children's choir, of course, he gravitates toward acting. But the most important thing is that he is growing up to be a real man, well-mannered and beautiful both internally and externally. Sandro knows well that a man must be the leader and stronger than others.

- And you too strong man? And does a woman need to hide her strength from the man she loves?

I am Capricorn, I have such a Capricorn character. A singer must be strong; the weak do not survive in our world. To be first, you need will.

And at home I am a very, very soft, “pajama”, fluffy person. I have gone through a lot in my life in order to stop being weak. I'm not talking about theatrical intrigues - they have always been, are and will be. I'm talking about the early death of my parents... My mother has been gone for almost 29 years. And I can still sometimes cry like a girl at 46 years old; I really miss my mother. Mom and dad are buried on our estate in Abkhazia. I visit their graves. These are my wings, which, if something happens, will cover me.

Khibla Gerzmava is a “new type” opera artist, as the press writes about her. Khibla amazes fans not only with her vocal abilities, but also with her subtle acting, grace, and thoughtfulness of her image. The singer with her whole appearance gives the feeling of a fairy tale, which made the artist not only a recognized opera diva, but also a style icon.

Khibla Levarsovna Gerzmava was born on January 6, 1970 in the Abkhaz resort town of Pitsunda. The girl's family was not at all musical. The future opera singer’s mother is a translator from German, her father is a senior administrator at the Pitsunda boarding house. Translated from Abkhazian, Khibla means “golden-eyed”; the artist’s surname translates as “she-wolf”.

When little Khibla was three years old, her father brought a piano from Germany, which the future opera singer has since tried to learn to play. This sudden purchase determined the future biography of the singer, pushing the girl towards music. Soon Khibla began to sing and play the piano.

Khibla spent her childhood near the Pitsunda Orthodox Cathedral, through the walls of which organ music constantly sounded. Gerzmava first felt an artistic urge in her youth, when she attended a performance by the Abkhaz song and dance group “Sharatyn”. She was also amazed by the performance of violinist Liana Isakadze. As the girl grew, her passion for music also grew.

Gerzmava lost her parents early. When she was 17 and then 19 years old, her parents left one after another. The girl only has a younger brother left. This fact influenced the further biography of Khibla Gerzmava. Already at this age, the girl firmly decided that her choice was a creative profession. In connection with this decision, she graduated from a music school in Gagra, then a music school in piano.

From 1989 to 1994 she studied at the Moscow Conservatory in the vocal department. In 1996 she completed her assistantship at the Conservatory. At the same time, she studied organ music for three years, eventually mastering her favorite instrument.

Music

Gerzmava first appeared abroad in 1993. Then Khibla took part in the “Verdi Voices” competition, receiving third prize. A year later, she was recognized from the name competitions in St. Petersburg and Francisco Viñas in Spain, where the singer received second place. Triumphant success came during his student years at the 10th International Competition. It was in 1994, she performed Rosina's final aria, winning the Grand Prix.

The singer is often compared to an opera singer. They are somewhat similar: both are young and attractive women, both southerners, and due to their voice and type, they perform the same roles on stage.

Netrebko became famous five years earlier than Khibla and, had circumstances been different, could well have pushed her competitor out of the scene. Instead, two opera divas divided music world in half. Anna is a singer from the St. Petersburg school; Khibla studied and performs more often in Moscow. Even playing the same roles, they shine on different but equally significant stages. For example, Anna Netrebko, who made both of them famous, sang at La Scala in Milan, and Gerzmava at Covent Garden in London.

During her busy career, opera singer Khibla Gerzmava performed on the great stages of the world. Among them are the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg, the Teatro Communale in Florence, the Metropolitan Opera in New York (debut in 2010), Covent Garden in London (the already mentioned role of Donna Anna in 2012), the Vienna State Opera, the Grand Teatro de Liceu in Barcelona, ​​Sofia National Opera in Bulgaria, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Palau de les Art Reina Sofía in Valencia.

The singer collaborated with many legends of the music scene. Among them are a virtuoso pianist, conductor and violinist, pianist Nikolai Lugansky, Music Viva orchestra, singer and saxophonist and others.

Khibla Gerzmava also takes part in modern performances. But, of course, not in all of them, but only in tasteful productions that do not cross the line of theatrical conventions. Abroad, the singer performs encore songs in her native Abkhazian. Her performances attract large audiences both in Moscow and New York.

The singer also left her mark in the chamber genre of classical music, having recorded a number of records entitled “Khibla Gerzmava Performs Russian Romances”, “Oriental Romances of Khibla Gerzmava”, as well as discs with cycles of romances by Nikolai Myaskovsky and Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. Khibla has a lot of video recordings of the performance of songs, romances and arias, and there are video versions of opera productions where the artist sings. In 2016, the singer released a video for the vocal work “The Gray-Eyed King,” based on poetry.

However, Khibla's main musical love was and remains jazz. She participated in concerts of Daniil Kramer. The project was called “Opera. Jazz. Blues". The singer and pianist toured Russia and Europe and not only repeated the same compositions, but changed the program every six months. In 2016, the musicians released an album of the same name, which included best works from their program. Khibla also collaborated with the famous jazz saxophonist Georgy Garanyan.

In February 2014, Khibla Gerzmava performed the “Olympic Waltz” at the closing of the Sochi Olympic Games. The singer took part in a romantic show during Sochi 2014: the artist sang while the Herald of Spring ship carried her across the airy sea.

On February 22, 2015, Khibla appeared in the show “One to One” on the TV channel “Russia 1” as a member of the jury. During her performance as Khibla, she was asked to perform everyone’s favorite hit “ Eternal love", which the singer did flawlessly.

In December 2016, the singer sang a part in the opera Don Carlos. The production featured a stellar cast, but almost all the participants were known for their solo vocal careers, so the audience was looking forward to seeing them together on the same stage. The highlight of the program was supposed to be, but due to a serious illness, the singer refused to participate, and he was replaced by Ildar Abdrazakov, whom journalists later called “the sex symbol of the opera world.”

At the end of the same year, a scandal broke out. Before the Channel One Hockey Cup match, Khibla was supposed to sing the anthem Russian Federation, but, as many thought, she forgot or mixed up the words. The artist apologized and asked to be given the opportunity to perform this composition again, but the organizers refused the request.

This mistake by the singer caused a flood of condemnation in the press. The next day, the Russian Hockey Federation expressed a different version of what was happening. According to its president, there were technical problems, so the music sounded slower than expected, which confused the performer. The Federation made an official apology to Khibla Gerzmava.

This incident could not hinder the artist’s career. Gerzmava still remains in demand on the opera stage. On the singer's official website, her performances are scheduled several months in advance.

Personal life

Khibla Gerzmava is reluctant to talk about her personal life. Few people know why Khibla’s husband now lives separately. From their marriage they have a son, Sandro, born in 1998. Since childhood, the boy sang in the choir of the Moscow Theater. and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. Sometimes Sandro took part in performances with his famous mother. Photos of my son often appear in personal " Instagram» singers.

The artist’s family life remains a secret, but, according to journalists, the opera singer has no new children or husband. Khibla maintains close relations with his younger brother Loretz, who was educated at MGIMO and the Sorbonne. Now my brother’s family lives in two countries – France and Abkhazia. Gerzmava's family nest is located in the village of Duripsh, where relatives gather in the summer months of the year. The graves of his father and mother remained there.

Khibla Gerzmava devotes a lot of effort and money to charity. The singer financially supports musical groups and young artists of Abkhazia. Until 2014, in the summer months on the territory of Pitsundskoye museum complex The music festival “Khibla Gerzmava invites...” took place, which was later moved to Moscow. The constant host of the event was Svyatoslav Belza. Over the course of three evenings, the public got acquainted with the work of young musicians, performers of classical and jazz music.

In Russia, the artist supports the #LIVE campaign, which also includes

On stage in March 2018 Bolshoi Theater The First International Music Award BraVo was presented. Khibla Gerzmava was honored to become a laureate in the “Best Classical Female Vocal” category. There, Dmitry Hvorostovsky was posthumously awarded in the category “Best Classical Album of the Year” for his recording of the disc “Verdi. Rigoletto." The Mariinsky Theater soloist Ildar Abdrazakov, pianist and others also received awards.

Parties

• Lyudmila, "Ruslan and Lyudmila"
• The Swan Princess, “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” N. Rimsky-Korsakov
• Rosina, "The Barber of Seville"
• Adina, “Elisir of Love” by G. Donizetti
• Violetta Valerie, La Traviata
• Mimi and Musetta, La Bohème
• Nymph, "Daphne" by M. da Galliano
• Adele, "Die Fledermaus"
• Donna Anna, "Don Juan"
• Vitellia, La Clemenza di Titus, W. A. ​​Mozart
• Liu, "Turandot", G. Puccini
• Amelia Grimaldi, Simon Boccanegra, G. Verdi