Saimir Pirgu

Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu has performed at and continues a close association with the world’s finest opera houses and festivals including Teatro alla Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Gran teatre del Liceu, Arena di Verona, Salzburger Festspiele.
Saimir enjoys enviable relationships with conductors including Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, Philippe Jordan, Zubin Mehta, Antonio Pappano, and formerly with the late Mariss Jansons and Claudio Abbado (with Abbado he made his opera debut at the age of 22).

So far this 2022-23 season, opera highlights have included Rodolfo in La bohème at Wiener Staatsoper and Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, the title role in Faust at Opernhaus Zurich and La Traviata at Teatro Massimo. On the concert platform he has sung Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and Verdi’s Requiem at the Dutch National Opera. Later this season he will sing the title role in L’amico Fritz at Omroep Muziek with Het Concertgebouw, Beethoven 9 with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Verdi’s Requiem at Opera de Lyon. Opera engagements include Eugene Onegin at Teatro Massimo and Ernani at Bregenzer Festival.
Future seasons will see a series of exciting engagements at Teatro di San Carlo, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Opernhaus Zurich.
Last season highlights include Steva (Jenufa) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Chevalier des Grieux (Manon) with Opera de Lyon at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Il Duca di Mantova (Rigoletto) at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and Staatsoper Berlin, Rodolfo (La bohème) at Teatro Colón and Tamino (DieZauberflöte) at Wiener Staatsoper. On the concert platform, Saimir will sing at Silvesterkonzert at Semperoper Dresden, Bruckner’s Te Deum at Osterfestspiele Salzburg and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
During previous seasons, Saimir has sung Steva (Jenufa) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Chevalier des Grieux (Manon) with Opera de Lyon at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Il Duca di Mantova (Rigoletto) at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and Staatsoper Berlin, Rodolfo (La bohème) at Teatro Colón and Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) at Wiener Staatsoper, Macduff at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at Opernhaus Zürich, as well making a series of role debuts including the title role of a new production of Les contes d’Hoffmann at Opernhaus Zürich, and Káťa Kabanová at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. On the concert platform, Saimir sung at Silvesterkonzert at SemperoperDresden, Bruckner’s Te Deum at Osterfestspiele Salzburg and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He also appeared with the Orchestre philharmonique du Luxembourg (Gimeno), Teatro Massimo di Palermo and Salzburger Festspiele (Muti).

In 2009 Saimir was awarded the Franco Corelli Prize of the Teatro delle Muse of Ancona for his performance in La traviata, and in 2013 he was awarded the prestigious “Pavarotti d’Oro”. The DVD/Blu-Ray recording of Król Roger from the Royal Opera House Covent Garden with Saimir as Shepherd received a nomination in the Best Opera Recording category at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards 2016.

Saimir has been an ambassador for Down Syndrome Albania, a foundation dedicated to helping children with Down Syndrome, since 2013.