When Carmen falls for a matador (Wayne Tigges) Don Jose is insanely jealous. Along comes his old girlfriend from home (Micaela, played by soprano Talise Trevigne), who attempts to persuade him to return to his mamma. When he is released from jail, Don Jose joins Carmen’s renegade gypsy band of smugglers. Surguladze plays opposite tenor Richard Leech’s Don Jose, an innocent country boy enlisted in the army, who saves Carmen as she is led to prison for stabbing a coworker. Thus the adult version of the brave, inquisitive little girl, who followed a line because she was curious, comes to San Diego as the fiery, sultry gypsy named Carmen. debut at Chicago Opera and her Metropolitan Opera debut last season as Maddalena in “Rigoletto.”Īfter hearing Surguladze sing the trouser role of Nicklausse and the Muse at Teatro Regio, San Diego Opera general and artistic director Ian Campbell engaged her to perform the title role in Georges Bizet’s 1875 tragedy, “Carmen,” which closes the season May 14-22 at the Civic Theatre. Even before she graduated, her voice teacher began entering her in vocal competitions, and in 2001 the Academy Studio of the prestigious La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy, selected her to make her professional debut as Marguerite in “La Damnation de Faust.” Since then, Surguladze has sung major roles in the great opera houses of Europe. It wasn’t long before Surguladze was capturing attention.

Thus began the mezzo-soprano’s international career. Two weeks later, a letter of acceptance arrived and Surguladze found herself enrolled in an academy for theatrically gifted students. “I guess I could sing a song,” Surguladze said, and the Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia) native commenced to give voice to a well-known Georgian folk tune.

When Nino Surguladze was 7 years old, she curiously followed a line of kids to its end, whereupon she found herself at an audition being asked what she wanted to perform.

Where: Civic Center, 3rd & B Street Downtown San Diego

When: May 7 – 20 times vary by performance.

Carmen opera san diego