Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov on Dubai Opera stage

The superstar couple of the international opera world will perform An Evening of Opera Highlights with guest star Elchin Azizov.

With her distinctive voice, rich tones, abundant charisma and arresting stage presence, she makes an indelible impression in each of her roles. An iconic figure both on and off the stage, the Russian soprano enjoys a level of superstardom that extends far beyond the classical realm. 2016 cemented Netrebko’s standing as the undisputed diva of our time. She received an eleven-minute ovation for her season-opening appearance in the title role of Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco at La Scala and performed a sold-out solo recital at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, among many other stunning performances.

We had a pleasure of speaking briefly with Anna Netrebko who gave us some exclusive insights on the exceptional performance tomorrow night.

Tell us more about the performance you are planning for Dubai on 21st of September—who are the composers? 

Yusif and I will be performing some of our favorite pieces of Italian opera! It will be a mixture of arias and duets by Verdi, Puccini, Cilea, Giordano and many others.

What is the message you want us to convey to the Russian speaking audience in Dubai and the Middle East?

Yusif and I are very excited to see more of the Middle East and perform for this audience. We love to travel and experience new places, so we hope to make beautiful music and memories there. 

3. For the past few years you have been performing on stage with Yosif Eyvazov. He is a world celebrity opera singer and you are too, so when you perform together, how does this reflect in the choice of musical pieces you perform together now? And how does it feel on stage to sing with a tenor?

Our voices match perfectly, so repertoire is very easy for us to select—we just sing the pieces we like. As for singing with tenors.... I am a soprano, so I can handle it. 

4. You have performed in very famous places such as New York and Paris with very prominent roles. Which one left the most impact on your audience and on you, even if it were a small role?

Each role I've sung has made me the singer I am today. I've learned so much from each of these characters, both vocally and emotionally. I really can't pick one or two. They've all impacted me significantly. 

5. How do you translate this rich experience into a new interpretation when you perform in front of a new audience, for example, cosmopolitan Dubai?

We believe that music speaks to everyone. There's not much we have to do to but to give a musical and honest performance. Audiences anywhere in the world can understand the themes we're singing about.