Oleg Balashov
Tenor

“The tenor of Oleg Balashov’s clarion voice and husky, youthful physique were ideal for Prince Vsevolod,” wrote Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times in praise of Oleg Balashov’s performance Invisible City of Kitezh at the Metropolitan Opera 2005. 

Educated at the Moscow State Conservatory in the name of Tchaikovsky, tenor Oleg Balashov has been a State Soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre since 1999. Mr. Balashov has sung principal roles with the Mariinsky Theatre in the world’s leading theatres: Metropolitan Opera (New York), Covent Garden (London), La Scala (Milan), Teatro Real (Madrid) and Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris). Further he has toured with the Mariinsky in Germany, Sweden, China, Japan, the United States, the Netherlands and Belgium.

In the summer of 2005, Mr. Balashov won critical acclaim for his performances of Andrei in Mazeppa at the Salzburg Opera Festival. Mr. Balashov repeats the role of Andrei at the Metropolitan Opera in eight performances of Mazeppa March 2006, conducted by Valery Gergiev. On February 21, 2006, Mr. Balashov made his American debut in the title role of Parsifal at Washington DC Opera with Valery Gergiev.

Other roles essayed by Mr. Balashov include Don Carlo (Don Carlo), Alfredo (La Traviata), Narraboth (Salome), Siegmund (Die Walküre), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Rodolfo (La Boheme) and Kuragin (War and Peace). Mr. Balashov appears on a live recording of War and Peace from Spoleto Festival 1999, conducted by Richard Hickox.

Mr. Balashov opened the new Mariinsky Theatre season 2006-2007 as Andrei in Mazeppa, staring Larissa Diadkova, Nicolai Putilin and conducted by Maestro Valery Gergiev. In March 2007, Mr. Balashov sang Sergei in Lady Macbeth at Mtsensk at Canadian Opera. During the summer of 2007, Mr. Balashov starred as Siegmund in “Die Walküre” with the Kirov Opera at the Metropolitan Opera. In November 2007, Mr. Balashov sang the role of Anatole Kuragin “War and Peace” at the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by Maestro Valery Gergiev.

Future contracts include Anatole Kuragin “War and Peace” with Canadian Opera, Lensky “Eugene Onegin” Vancouver Opera 2008 and the Pretender “Boris Godunov” with Dallas Opera.

Recordings

Spoleto Festival Orchestra, conducted by Sir Richard Hickox
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