Ildar Abdrazakov [ahb-drah-ZAH-koff] has established himself as one of opera’s most sought-after basses. Since making his La Scala debut in 2001 at 25, the Russian singer has become a mainstay at leading houses worldwide, including New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and Munich’s Bavarian State Opera. His powerful yet refined voice coupled with his compelling stage presence have prompted critics to hail him as a “sensational bass…who has just about everything – imposing sound, beautiful legato, oodles of finesse” (The Independent). Also an active concert artist, he has performed at London’s BBC Proms and at New York’s Carnegie Hall, as well as with leading international orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony and Vienna Philharmonic.

In the 2015-16 season, Abdrazakov returns to several favorite roles in the bel canto repertoire, beginning with a revival of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena at the Met in September. He reprises his acclaimed Henry VIII opposite Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role and returns to New York in January for two encore performances as part of the company’s Tudor Queens trilogy. In Europe, Abdrazakov returns to the Opéra National de Paris as Don Basilio in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. He then turns to the works of Verdi, beginning with the composer’s Requiem at Philharmonie Luxembourg and followed by an encore performance as Verdi’s Attila at the Monte Carlo Opera in April. In May, he joins Riccardo Muti for two concert performances of Macbeth at Stockholm’s Konserthuset. Other concert highlights include a reading of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart and Salieri in Moscow with Vladimir Spivakov and the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia in December. The coming season also sees Abdrazakov at the helm of the Elena Obraztsova International Academy of Music – where he was appointed Artistic Director by Obraztsova herself in 2014 – which opened in a gala concert August 2015.