Parents of the opera diva Veronica Dzhioeva. Veronica Dzhioeva: biography of the Russian world opera star. Pussy Riot and "Prince Igor"

“Singer from God” - this is what they call the Russian world opera star Veronica Dzhioeva. Among the images that this amazing woman embodied on stage are Tatiana (“Eugene Onegin”), Countess (“The Marriage of Figaro”), Yaroslavna (“Prince Igor”), Lady Macbeth (“Macbeth”) and many others! It is about the owner of the divine soprano that we will talk today.

Biography of Veronica Dzhioeva

Veronica Romanovna was born at the end of January 1979. The opera singer’s homeland is the city of Tskhinvali, South Ossetia. In an interview, Veronica said that initially her father wanted her to become a gynecologist. True, he changed his mind in time and decided that his daughter should become an opera singer.

By the way, Veronica Dzhioeva’s father has a good tenor. He heard repeatedly that he should study vocals. However, during his youth, singing in Ossetia among men was considered a completely unmanly activity. That is why Roman chose sports for himself. The opera singer's father became a weightlifter.

Carier start

In 2000, Veronica Dzhioeva graduated from the College of Arts in Vladikavkaz. The girl studied vocals in the class of N. I. Khestanova. After 5 years, she completed her studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she studied in the class of T. D. Novichenko. It is worth noting that the competition for admission to the conservatory was more than 500 people per place.

The girl first appeared on stage in 1998. Then she performed at the Philharmonic. Veronica Dzhioeva's debut as an opera singer took place in early 2004 - she performed the role of Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème.

World recognition

Today, Dzhioeva is one of the most sought-after opera singers, not only in the Russian Federation, but also outside our country. Veronica has performed on stages in Lithuania and Estonia, Italy and Japan, the United States of America and Spain, Great Britain and Germany. Among the images that Veronica Dzhioeva brought to life are the following:

• Thais (“Thais”, Massenet).
• The Countess (The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart).
• Elizabeth (Don Carlos, Verdi).
• Martha (“Passenger”, Weinberg).
• Tatiana (Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky).
• Michaela (Carmen, Bizet).
• Lady Macbeth (Macbeth, Verdi).

It is worth noting that Veronica is the leading soloist of three opera houses in Russia: she performs on the stages of the Novosibirsk, Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters.

World recognition came to this opera singer after she performed the role of Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte. On the capital's stage, Veronica Dzhioeva performed the role of Princess Urusova in Shchedrin's opera "Boyaryna Morozova". Zemfira from Rachmaninov’s “Aleko” also won the hearts of the audience. Veronica performed it at the end of the summer of 2007.

Residents of St. Petersburg remembered and loved Dzhioeva thanks to numerous premieres at the Mariinsky Theater. Veronica also pleased opera lovers in Seoul. In 2009, the premiere of Bizet’s “Carmen” took place here. And, of course, the real triumph was Veronica Dzhioeva’s performance in “La Bohème.” Now Italian theaters in Bologna and Bari are happy to see the singer on their stage. The Munich public also applauded the opera diva. Here Veronica performed the role of Tatiana in the opera Eugene Onegin.

Personal life of Dzhioeva

Family occupies a special place in the biography of Veronica Dzhioeva. The singer is happily married to Alim Shakhmametyev, who holds the position of chief conductor of the Chamber Orchestra at the Novosibirsk Philharmonic, and leads the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

The couple has two children - daughter Adriana and son Roman. By the way, the second time the audience did not even notice Veronica’s absence on stage: the opera singer performed until the eighth month of pregnancy, and just a month after the birth of the baby she returned to her favorite pastime. Veronica Dzhioeva calls herself an incorrect Ossetian woman. She believes the main reason is her dislike of cooking. But Veronica is a great wife and mother: order and mutual understanding always reign in her house.

Participation in the TV project “Big Opera”

In 2011, the southern beauty Veronica Dzhioeva became the winner of the “Big Opera” project. The opera diva entered the television competition of her own free will, but against the wishes of her husband, colleagues and relatives.

A few years after the TV project, in an interview, Veronica said that it all started with a rehearsal for a New Year’s program on the “Culture” channel. It was the employees of this channel who told Dzhioeva about the competition.

The recording of the “Big Opera” program took place on Mondays, when the theater had a day off. Veronica admitted that then she thought that something like this would never happen in her life again, and agreed to participate in the project. The singer's husband was categorically against it and argued that Veronica should not waste herself on trifles. Almost everyone I knew tried to dissuade the diva. Veronica’s character played a big role in the choice - to spite everyone, she said “Yes!”

By the way, Dzhioeva’s voice is often heard in films, including the films “Vasilievsky Island” and “Monte Cristo”. Veronica also recorded an album called Opera arias. And in 2010, Pavel Golovkin’s film “Winter Wave Solo” was released. This picture is dedicated to the work of Dzhioeva.

Despite the fact that the singer’s homeland is Ossetia, Veronica positions herself as an opera singer from Russia. This is what is always indicated on the posters. However, there were also unpleasant situations abroad. For example, when several theater magazines and posters called Dzhioeva a “Georgian soprano.” The singer was seriously angry, and the organizers had to not only apologize, but also confiscate all printed copies and re-publish posters and magazines.

Veronica explains this very simply - she studied in St. Petersburg with Russian teachers. Georgia has nothing to do with this. The armed conflicts between Georgia and her homeland influenced the position of the opera diva.

Awards

Veronica Dzhioeva is not only the winner of the “Big Opera” television competition. She is a laureate of various competitions and festivals of opera performers. For example, in 2003 she became a laureate of the Glinka International Competition, and in 2005 she became the winner of the Maria Gallas Grand Prix. Dzhioeva’s awards include the Paradise, Golden Sofit and Golden Mask theater awards. It is worth noting that Veronica is an honored artist of two republics - South and North Ossetia.

She is called nothing less than “a singer from God,” “an opera diva,” or “one of the best sopranos of our time.” Her name is well known not only because Veronika Dzhioeva comes from long-suffering Tskhinvali or because the singer’s husband, conductor Alim Shakhmametyev, leads the Chamber Orchestra of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic. Veronica's talent itself makes people talk about her, write about her and run to her concerts. In Novosibirsk they are rare, because Veronica Dzhioeva is a person of peace. This is how it is usually expressed when you were born in one place, live in another, are on your way to a third, and the whole world is your stage. But it’s also good that Novosibirsk residents can at least occasionally - in the Philharmonic where our meeting took place, or in the Opera and Ballet Theater - hear this free and strong voice.

– You are a visiting bird with us, Veronica, so I would like to first find out: what marked the beginning of your cooperation with Novosibirsk?

– It all started in 2005, when I participated in the Maria Callas competition (the competition takes place in Athens. – Author’s note). When I performed in the third round, conductor Teodor Currentzis, who had arrived there, approached me. He said that he is the musical director and chief conductor of the orchestra of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. And he really wants me to sing in his theater. And then I had just got to the Mariinsky Theater after graduating from the St. Petersburg Conservatory and at first shrugged my shoulders in bewilderment: why should I go to Siberia? Back then I had no idea what the level was here! Now I know that Novosibirsk has strong singers and musicians, wonderful orchestras. And the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, led by Alim (the singer’s husband, Alim Anvyarovich Shakhmametyev. – Author’s note), – he will give odds to many orchestras of St. Petersburg and Moscow. And then I was in no hurry to go to Siberia. But Currentzis did not calm down, he called me periodically, and this is the result - I am here. Since 2006 I have been working as a guest soloist.

– What was the final argument in favor of Novosibirsk?

– At first I came just to hear the Currentzis orchestra, to see how Theodor works...

-...We even have this expression: “Theodore of Opera and Ballet.” Did you hear?

– No, but in St. Petersburg they told me a lot about Currentzis. And it also had an impact that he studied with my classmate, a Greek tenor, who after some time began to sing incomparably better. I came to the exam to cheer on a classmate, and was amazed at the changes. Now I’ve experienced it myself: no one else works the way Currentzis works with vocalists! After him it is difficult to return to other conductors. Now I am again, since November last year, working at the Mariinsky Theater. I just sang two “La Traviatas”... Now the Mariinsky Theater will perform “Don Carlos” with my participation, then “Aida”. A lot of everything. The productions are one more interesting than the other! There will be work in Tallinn - there the Germans are staging Thais, an opera by Jules Massenet. An interesting opera, it is extremely rarely translated into a stage version. By the way, on March 12, I will have a concert at the Novosibirsk Opera House, at which I will sing excerpts from this opera. Under the piano. Come!

I work with great enthusiasm both here, with Theodore, and there, in St. Petersburg, abroad. I am grateful to Theodore for believing in me and the possibilities of my voice, and this gave me impetus. We singers, on the one hand, are such a commodity - you either like it or not, your school is criticized or praised. And all this is subjective! Intrigue is a well-known thing in the creative community. But Theodore is far from them. On the other hand, we are narcissistic people. It is very important for us to know that you are artistic, that you are admired, that you have a good voice. Currentzis gave me confidence and drive. Besides, he is my person in spirit. If you see how we communicate during rehearsals, you will understand everything. I’m the same way myself – eccentric, impulsive. And he is unexpected, irrepressible, works 15 hours a day. You can see this at the concert: he feels me - I understand him.

– Did you ever give him some musical ideas?

- No, it’s better not to argue with him. In music he is a tyrant: as he said, so it should be. But then you realize: everything is justified. The projects I did with him prove this. "Cosi Fantutti", for example (another name for this opera by Mozart is “This is what everyone does.” – Author’s note).

– But you said that you are now also working with other orchestras, with other conductors?

- Yes. Just yesterday, in Moscow, in the Great Hall of the Conservatory, I sang Mozart’s “Requiem”. The orchestra was led by conductor Vladimir Minin. It was a big concert dedicated to the memory of Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Alexy II. The entire elite was present, famous people - musicians, actors, directors.

- So you are going from the ball to the ship, that is, to the plane? And to us?

- Yes Yes Yes! (Laughs.) And Moscow began to invite me, I think, precisely thanks to Currentzis. After his “Cosi Fantutti” the press was especially favorable to me. They even noted that this was the best debut of the year. With Currentzis I also sang Vatican music from the 20th century. Also in Moscow. And after that, the reviews wrote that I became a sensation because I sang in an unusual manner, in a very low voice. “Cosi Fantutti”, “Don Carlos”, Macbeth”, “The Marriage of Figaro” - I did all these projects with Currentzis. As a matter of fact, “La Traviata” also goes into this piggy bank. After Theodore heard me sing La Traviata, he said, “Let’s do a concert performance of the opera.” This is where it all started. He conducted, convincing me that it was not the coloratura who was called upon to sing this part, but voices like mine, strong and with technique. It's no secret that people from the Caucasus are distinguished by their strong timbre. And also the Italians. Many people tell me: “You have a voice of Italian quality.” This means a strong soprano, with mobility. The soprano is most often characterized by legato (“legato” is a musical term meaning “coherent, smooth.” – Author’s note), but to have technology is rare.

– A few years ago I found myself accredited at the Budapest Spring music festival. And we worked together with a Frenchwoman, Monique, a critic from Paris. When at one of the opera performances there was a replacement and a Russian tenor appeared on stage instead of a sick English artist, Monique immediately reacted: “The Russian is singing.” She didn't need the program! And the opera was performed in Italian. Tell me, is it really possible to immediately determine one’s nationality just by the timbre of one’s voice?

– Not the nationality itself, but rather the school. But nature is also important, of course. The conditions in which the voice was formed, heredity - all together. The most beautiful voices, in my opinion, are in multinational Russia. We were just in Erfurt, visiting a very famous professor, a friend of my husband, who now teaches Russian music in Germany. So he told us: “When you come to the opera, if you like the voice, it means the singer is from Russia.”

– What about the famous Italian bel canto? And your voice, as you said, is also compared to Italian?

– Yes, that’s true, but it’s still no coincidence that our people sing everywhere abroad. We are in great demand. Perhaps the reason for this is also the fact that we sing everything: Russian music, German, Italian. Italians cannot sing so well in such a repertoire range.

– Do you speak Italian sufficiently?

– The Italians themselves say that my Italian is good, with correct pronunciation. Recently, La Scala agents approached me, and after some time during the conversation they asked: “Besides Italian, what other language do you speak?” They took it for granted that I spoke Italian fluently. Although music taught me Italian.

– Here’s another question, almost intimate for people in your profession. How does your condition affect the sound of your voice?

- Oh, in different ways. People sometimes don’t even know what we are like when we go on stage. Sick, upset, anxious. Or lovers, happy but overly worried. Life breaks into music all the time. And there’s nothing you can do about it. But an artist is an artist to overcome himself. Everyone has failures, believe me. I sang in the best theaters in the world, I know what I’m talking about. But failure depends on many things, and success depends only on you. And also from those who work with you: from musicians, from other singers, from the conductor. Good luck doesn't just happen!

– Veronica, talking to the singer about life without talking about her work is nonsense. That's why we started our conversation from the stage. And perhaps one more question from an amateur... Do you have a favorite composer?

– Verdi and Puccini are meant for me, for my voice. This oil is what you need. But I would like to perform more: Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini. And, of course, Mozart. Puccini, if it were up to me, I would start singing later. In the meantime, the voice is young, beautiful and strong - Bellini would sing. The operas “The Puritans”, “Norma”, “Lucrezia Borgia”... This is mine!

– But any woman, even if she is a singer, and maybe especially if she is a singer, has something else in life that also makes up the meaning of her existence. Relatives, home... Were you born in Ossetia?

– I was born in Tskhinvali. Tom himself. I'll tell you about my parents. My dad is a unique person, he had an amazing voice. And he worked in the Nakaduli group in Tbilisi. This is “Spring” in Georgian. Everything was peaceful before... And even now among my father’s friends there are Georgians, because in art there are no such barriers as in politics. Moreover, it was these people who helped dad move to Germany, where he now lives. At one time they told him: “You should become an opera singer.” And he became a weightlifter! Honored coach. In the Caucasus, it was a shame to sing if you were a man. Dad's name is Roman Dzhioev. He plays the piano, plays the guitar beautifully, and has an unusual voice.

– And your mother, is she also related to music?

– No, my mother has nothing to do with music. She is a calm family person. She devoted herself to her husband and children. We have three parents. My sister Inga is very musical, she now lives in Ossetia. Inga and I sang a lot together as children. She also studied vocals, but... became a lawyer. And we also have a younger brother, Shamil. I'm proud of it, I live by it. We all raised him! Shamil speaks five languages, he is very capable, you know, an athlete with books. Dad went to Germany for his sake; he wanted to give the guy the opportunity to study in Europe. In Ossetia, you know, life is difficult now. And the other side of my personal life is my husband Alim. If it weren't for him, there wouldn't be much out of me. I would not go to any Callas competition. And I wouldn’t have met Theodora there. Alim is a gift for me as a woman.

– Tell me how you and your husband met? What is your love story?

“We were inspired to love by the opera La Bohème.” This is the first opera I did with Alim. He was a young conductor who worked at our conservatory. I came to the rehearsal. I saw him and thought: “So young and so talented.” And then a current ran between us... The music contributed to this, of course. I sang seven performances with him - and from the overture our romance moved to the denouement... Alim really was given a lot from God. Just as he was a child prodigy in childhood, he remains an outstanding personality: he succeeds in everything. And he also studied with such musicians, such masters as Kozlov and Musin. He found great professors and was imbued with the spirit of their music. What can I say if Tishchenko himself dedicated a symphony to him! And Tishchenko is unique! A most brilliant composer, a student of Shostakovich. My husband has given me a lot both as a musician and as a man. This is my other half. I will only develop next to such a person! And his family is wonderful. Remember the Soviet adventure film "Dirk"? So, the little boy who played in this film is Alim’s dad. As a child, he was taken all over the Union to meet with audiences when the film was released. And my husband’s mother, my mother-in-law... Despite what they usually say about the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law... She always supports me. We come - it’s a joy for her. Cooks a lot of delicious things at once. And thanks to her, I have no life! I don't go near the stove at all!

- But you have your own house?

- I’m not at home. (Whispers, jokingly.) Everything is scattered! We have an apartment in St. Petersburg, but when I come there it’s like going to a hotel. St. Petersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk, a little abroad... And I also have a son who lives in Ossetia. His name is the same as my father’s, Roman. He is 13 years old, he is already a big boy and he made his own choice. He said his manly word: “I am Ossetian - and I will live in my homeland, in Ossetia.” He did not like St. Petersburg.

– During the war, I read in the press, your son was in Tskhinvali?

- Yes. Two days before the war I went on tour. Even then, shots were heard from the outskirts of the city, but Sister Inga calmed me down, saying that everything would calm down soon. I left, but my son stayed there. And two days later on TV I saw my sister’s destroyed house. And I was shocked by the words of the presenter: “At night, Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia...”. This was already the third Georgian attack on South Ossetia! The first happened back in 1920, yes, we were exterminated. And the second one is already in my memory, in 1992, when I was in school. And here’s the third... I almost went crazy at that moment. I started calling my family – both on their home phones and on their mobile phones. The answer is silence. I hung up on my phone for three days. Only on the fourth day did I find out that everything was fine with my family, and I talked to my son. He said: “Mom, we are all alive!” And then he cried: “I saw how my dead classmates were carried out of their houses.” It's very scary. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. My boy showed courage. He is a real man, although he is still so young. But we grow up early!

– Would you like more children, Veronica?

- Yes, I would like to. And Alim. If I get a little on the western rails, then I can afford it. Perhaps then I’ll learn how to nurse and educate. When my first child was born, his Ossetian grandmother did all this for me. I was married for the first time at the age of fifteen - in Ossetia, people get married early, not only do they grow up - and at sixteen I had Roman.

– So you said “I’ll get on Western rails.” What do you need for this, besides talent? A good impresario?

- Not only. I have a professional agent, everything is going as it should, in the right direction, but there are quite a few nuances here if we talk about “Western rails”... In our world, a lot is decided by both money and the dishonest play of those who... not only with their voices make their way to the big stage. I seek recognition for my art. There is progress. First “Tais”, then...

I won’t speak for now, I have to live. But I imagine that 2010 will be very busy for me. This July I’m leaving for La Scala... I won’t say that I have everything planned for five years, but there is always interesting work for a year. It’s unpleasant when good offers coincide in time. For example, in Erfurt I was supposed to sing Marguerite in Gounod’s Mephistopheles. Did not work out.

But there was something else. In general, for me, every concert and every performance is a victory. I'm from a small town in South Ossetia. Who helped me? I tried my best! And I was lucky with the teachers. I graduated from college in Vladikavkaz, studied with an excellent teacher Nelly Ilyinichna Khestanova, she gave me a lot. She then entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory. I was among 447 applicants! Can you imagine the influx? Then there was the biggest competition among vocalists in the entire history of the conservatory! Out of almost 500 people who want to study vocals, 350 are sopranos! They liked my voice for its timbre, and they hired me. I completed my studies with the great professor, honorable. Russian artist, professor Tamara Dmitrievna Novichenko, who made such singers as Anna Netrebko and prima of the Mariinsky Theater Ira Dzhioeva, who also worked here, as you probably know.

– Are you related to Irina Dzhioeva?

- Namesakes. We have another Dzhioeva, in Ossetia they call her “the third Dzhioeva”, Inga, she now lives in Italy, also a singer, soloist of the La Scala choir.

– Do you sometimes... sing in the mountains, Veronica?

– No, although I know that many singers do this. I screamed as a child! Now I'm afraid I'll lose my voice...

– What are you like outside the stage and art?

– Not a housewife or a homebody, that’s for sure. We often have an empty refrigerator and nothing to eat for breakfast. But it doesn’t matter – we go to restaurants! Otherwise, I am an exemplary wife: I love to clean the house and, like a true Ossetian woman, serve my husband, bring him slippers... I am pleased with this. Outside the house, my element is shops. Shopping is almost a passion. If I don’t buy myself something I like, my voice doesn’t even sound! A special point is perfume. For example, when I was in Moscow now, the first thing I did was go to a perfume store and fill my hands full of cosmetics and perfume from Christian Dior. When your makeup bag is in order, your soul sings! But I am not constant: today I need Christian Dior, tomorrow – Chanel. Today it’s an evening dress, tomorrow it’s a different one. I have forty of these dresses, they don’t fit in the dressing room. And to some, once I put them on, I immediately lost interest! But what to do! This is how I was born! (Laughs.)

Iraida FEDOROVA,
"New Siberia", April 2010

Diploma winner of the Golden Mask competition, winner of the Bolshoi Opera competition, Honored Artist of South Ossetia... but this singer prefers to be simply announced as Veronica Dzhioeva, because her name is famous enough to tell the public more than any honorary titles. The future opera star was born in Tskhinvali. Her father had an excellent tenor, but during his youth a musical career was not considered prestigious for a man, and he became a professional athlete. Having recognized his daughter’s talent in time, he wanted her to become a singer and instilled in her a love of music. Veronica had a beautiful voice already in childhood, and together with her sister Inga she performed at competitions. True, she performed at her first solo concert at the age of thirteen not as a singer, but as a performer of folk dances.

Veronica Dzhioeva received her musical education at the Tskhinvali Music College, then at the Vladikavkaz College of Arts with Nelly Khestanova. After graduating from this educational institution, she went to St. Petersburg to enter the conservatory. Before the entrance exam, an unexpected difficulty arose - her voice disappeared, but the mentor who accompanied her told her: “Go out, tear your ligaments, but sing!” And Veronica sang - as it seemed to her, she sang better than ever. She became a student at the conservatory, where she studied with Tamara Novichenko. The singer calls her mentor “a teacher with a capital T” - not only because her graduates sing all over the world, but also for her reverent attitude towards her students.

Even before graduating from the conservatory - in 2004 - Veronika Dzhioeva made her debut, performing the role of Mimi in the opera studio of the conservatory. After two years, the young performer makes herself known in the capital: on the stage of the Moscow International House of Music she plays the role of Fiordiligi in "". He conducted this performance. In the same year, the premiere of the work, the opera “Boyarina Morozova”, took place in the Russian capital, and the role of Princess Urusova was performed by Dzhioeva. A year later, the work was presented in Italy - and again with her participation.

Since that time, the singer has gone from success to success: performing in the role of Zemfira in “” under the direction of , performing the same role at the Mariinsky Theater in Baden-Baden, Michaela in “” in Seoul. Subsequently, the artist performed this part more than once. Mikaela may not seem the most interesting way - especially in comparison with the main character - but Veronica Dzhioeva has a special relationship with her. In her interpretation, Michaela does not look like a “naive blonde,” but a strong girl, despite her rustic simplicity, capable of fighting for her own happiness. There was a case in the singer’s career when the audience applauded her Michaela so much that the performer of the role of Escamillo refused to bow.

Whatever roles Dzhioeva performed, wherever she sang: Yaroslavna in Hamburg, the title role in “Sister Angelica” in Madrid, Maria Stuart in Palermo, Elvira in “” at the Houston Opera. At the Bolshoi Theater, her first role was the same role with which her career in opera began - Mimi, then there were Elizaveta in "", Gorislava in "". The singer's voice is surprisingly deep and rich, its range even includes low, “chest” notes, which are more associated with mezzo-soprano than with soprano. There is both passion and tenderness in her voice. He has such power that in the West sometimes it is difficult to select a composition for such a “large” voice. The singer embodies both lyrical images (Martha in “”, Tatiana) and dramatic ones (Lady Macbeth). The Italian opera is especially close to the artist - Giacomo Puccini, and she calls “” her favorite opera.” She doesn’t see herself in the role of a cruel princess, but she happily plays the part of Liu.

The singer's concert repertoire is no less rich than her operatic one. She participated in the performance of Requiems and, "The Bells", Ludwig van Beethoven and. Dzhioeva attaches particular importance to the performance of romances, considering this genre as a kind of “test” for belonging to the Russian world. She started with romances by Bulakhov and Varlamov, then works appeared in her chamber repertoire, and she considers the latter the most complex. According to Veronica Dzhioeva, working on romances helps in working on opera roles.

Veronica Dzhioeva does not like the dictates of directors at the opera house - and not only because it is offensive when the director’s name is written on the poster in large letters, and the names of the singers are barely visible. The artist is worried about thoughtless “innovation” that has nothing to do with art. For example, the singer experienced great irritation when girls in the image of... Pussy Riot appeared on stage in the play "" in Hamburg, and then the same thing happened in "" in Madrid. Dzhioeva herself prefers classical productions, which make it possible to feel like a person from a different era.

Musical Seasons

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“Singer from God” - this is what they call the Russian world opera star Veronica Dzhioeva. Among the images that this amazing woman embodied on stage are Tatiana (“Eugene Onegin”), Countess (“The Marriage of Figaro”), Yaroslavna (“Prince Igor”), Lady Macbeth (“Macbeth”) and many others! It is about the owner of the divine soprano that we will talk today.

Biography of Veronica Dzhioeva

Veronica Romanovna was born at the end of January 1979. The opera singer's homeland is the city of Tskhinvali, South Ossetia. In an interview, Veronica said that initially her father wanted her to become a gynecologist. True, he changed his mind in time and decided that his daughter should become an opera singer.

By the way, Veronica Dzhioeva’s father has a good tenor. He heard repeatedly that he should study vocals. However, during his youth, singing in Ossetia among men was considered a completely unmanly activity. That is why Roman chose sports for himself. The opera singer's father became a weightlifter.

Carier start

In 2000, Veronica Dzhioeva graduated from the College of Arts in Vladikavkaz. The girl studied vocals in the class of N. I. Khestanova. After 5 years, she completed her studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she studied in the class of T. D. Novichenko. It is worth noting that the competition for admission to the conservatory was more than 500 people per place.

The girl first appeared on stage in 1998. Then she performed at the Philharmonic. Veronica Dzhioeva's debut as an opera singer took place in early 2004 - she performed the role of Mimi in Puccini's La Bohème.

World recognition

Today, Dzhioeva is one of the most sought-after opera singers, not only in the Russian Federation, but also outside our country. Veronica has performed on stages in Lithuania and Estonia, Italy and Japan, the United States of America and Spain, Great Britain and Germany. Among the images that Veronica Dzhioeva brought to life are the following:

• Thais (“Thais”, Massenet).
• The Countess (The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart).
• Elizabeth (Don Carlos, Verdi).
• Martha (“Passenger”, Weinberg).
• Tatiana (Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky).
• Michaela (Carmen, Bizet).
• Lady Macbeth (Macbeth, Verdi).

It is worth noting that Veronica is the leading soloist of three opera houses in Russia: she performs on the stages of the Novosibirsk, Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters.

World recognition came to this opera singer after she performed the role of Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte. On the capital's stage, Veronica Dzhioeva performed the role of Princess Urusova in Shchedrin's opera "Boyaryna Morozova". Zemfira from Rachmaninov’s “Aleko” also won the hearts of the audience. Veronica performed it at the end of the summer of 2007.

Residents of St. Petersburg remembered and loved Dzhioeva thanks to numerous premieres at the Mariinsky Theater. Veronica also pleased opera lovers in Seoul. In 2009, the premiere of Bizet’s “Carmen” took place here. And, of course, the real triumph was Veronica Dzhioeva’s performance in “La Bohème.” Now Italian theaters in Bologna and Bari are happy to see the singer on their stage. The Munich public also applauded the opera diva. Here Veronica performed the role of Tatiana in the opera Eugene Onegin.

Personal life of Dzhioeva

Family occupies a special place in the biography of Veronica Dzhioeva. The singer is happily married to Alim Shakhmametyev, who holds the position of chief conductor of the Chamber Orchestra at the Novosibirsk Philharmonic, and leads the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.

The couple has two children - daughter Adriana and son Roman. By the way, the second time the audience did not even notice Veronica’s absence on stage: the opera singer performed until the eighth month of pregnancy, and just a month after the birth of the baby she returned to her favorite pastime. Veronica Dzhioeva calls herself an incorrect Ossetian woman. She believes the main reason is her dislike of cooking. But Veronica is a great wife and mother: order and mutual understanding always reign in her house.

Participation in the TV project “Big Opera”

In 2011, the southern beauty Veronica Dzhioeva became the winner of the “Big Opera” project. The opera diva entered the television competition of her own free will, but against the wishes of her husband, colleagues and relatives.

A few years after the TV project, in an interview, Veronica said that it all started with a rehearsal for a New Year’s program on the “Culture” channel. It was the employees of this channel who told Dzhioeva about the competition.

The recording of the “Big Opera” program took place on Mondays, when the theater had a day off. Veronica admitted that then she thought that something like this would never happen in her life again, and agreed to participate in the project. The singer's husband was categorically against it and argued that Veronica should not waste herself on trifles. Almost everyone I knew tried to dissuade the diva. Veronica’s character played a big role in the choice - to spite everyone, she said “Yes!”

By the way, Dzhioeva’s voice is often heard in films, including the films “Vasilievsky Island” and “Monte Cristo”. Veronica also recorded an album called Opera arias. And in 2010, Pavel Golovkin’s film “Winter Wave Solo” was released. This picture is dedicated to the work of Dzhioeva.

Despite the fact that the singer’s homeland is Ossetia, Veronica positions herself as an opera singer from Russia. This is what is always indicated on the posters. However, there were also unpleasant situations abroad. For example, when several theater magazines and posters called Dzhioeva a “Georgian soprano.” The singer was seriously angry, and the organizers had to not only apologize, but also confiscate all printed copies and re-publish posters and magazines.

Veronica explains this very simply - she studied in St. Petersburg with Russian teachers. Georgia has nothing to do with this. The armed conflicts between Georgia and her homeland influenced the position of the opera diva.

Awards

Veronica Dzhioeva is not only the winner of the “Big Opera” television competition. She is a laureate of various competitions and festivals of opera performers. For example, in 2003 she became a laureate of the Glinka International Competition, and in 2005 she became the winner of the Maria Gallas Grand Prix. Dzhioeva’s awards include the Paradise, Golden Sofit and Golden Mask theater awards. It is worth noting that Veronica is an honored artist of two republics - South and North Ossetia.

On April 29, the Small Glazunov Hall of the St. Petersburg Conservatory will host a vocal evening of the world opera star Veronica Dzhioeva. The diva's performance will be accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of the Opera and Ballet Theater of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, conducted by Alim Shakhmametyev. The concert starts at 19.00.

The bright southern beauty of opera singer Veronica Dzhioeva seems to have been created for the role of Carmen. And in this image she is truly amazingly good. But her most famous lyrical parts are from “La Traviata”, “Eugene Onegin”, “Rusalka”...

Veronica Dzhioeva became known to a wide audience two years ago, after she won the “Big Opera” television project. However, even without this, she was and remains one of the most sought-after opera singers. When asked about the house, Veronica just laughs and shrugs it off: she sings at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater, the Moscow Bolshoi Theater, the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater, and also on the best opera stages in the world. All life is continuous touring. “And you know, I really like it all,” admits Veronica. “I have absolutely no desire to register in any one theater.”

Are you a mezzo or a soprano?

Veronica, you were born and raised in a family of weightlifters. How did the daughter of a weightlifter manage to become an opera singer?

Veronica Dzhioeva: Dad, by the way, had a very good voice. Tenor. But in the Caucasus, being a professional singer is, to put it mildly, not prestigious. For a real man, it’s sports or business. Therefore, my dad devoted himself to sports, and from childhood he inspired me that I should sing. It was to please my parents that I started studying music. And not right away, but I realized that dad was right (although at first he wanted to see me as a gynecologist).

Veronica Dzhioeva: Yes, I am often asked: “Are you a mezzo or a soprano?” I have a lyric-dramatic soprano, but with a large range, including low notes - chest, “non-chemical”. At the same time, it so happened that my character did not match my voice.

Do you mean you have to play roles that are difficult to get into?

Veronica Dzhioeva: It’s difficult for me to sing Tatyana - not because of her voice, but because of her image. I am not like that. In life I am Turandot, Carmen, Macbeth... Oh, Macbeth is my dream! I would like to sing that same Macbeth - beautiful, proud and majestic, who pushes to murder.

At the same time, I succeed in lyrical images: Mimi, Michaela, Traviata, sister Angelica, Yaroslavna, Tatyana. Everyone is surprised: “How did you manage to create such subtle, touching images? You, who never loved anyone?..”

How is it that you have never loved anyone?

Veronica Dzhioeva: That is, she did not love tragically, unrequitedly. I am designed in such a way that I cannot suffer for a person who does not reciprocate my feelings.

Russians sing

There is now an expansion of Russian singers in the West. For example, Anna Netrebko will open the season at the Metropolitan Opera for the third time this year. Do foreign singers have any jealousy towards ours: they say, they have come in large numbers?..

Veronica Dzhioeva: Oh yeah! For example, in Italy there definitely is. But here, do you know what the paradox is? In Russia, visiting singers are more popular. And there - our own! And in this regard, I am very upset for our people. No one is helping Russians to make their way, unlike, say, Koreans, for whom the state pays for their studies at the best conservatories in the world. Meanwhile, it is no secret that Russians have the most luxurious “overtone” voices with the deepest timbres. And on top of that - breadth and passion. European singers take their cue from others: their voices are meager, but they always know their parts by heart and sing with mathematical precision and correctness.

What about knowledge of foreign languages? Opera singers have to sing in both Italian and French...

Veronica Dzhioeva: For some reason, in the West it is believed that if the opera is Russian, then you can cut yourself some slack and sing in a difficult language as best you can. Quite often you hear instead of “eye movements” - “visenya blas”... And in Russia the public does not find fault with foreign singers, they are even touched: “Oh, what a sweetheart, she’s trying!..” There is no leniency towards Russians abroad - pronunciation must be flawless. Without exaggeration, I can say that Russians sing best in all European languages.

Maybe this is the key to the current success of Russian singers?

Veronica Dzhioeva: Perhaps... Although not. The secret is in our nature. Russians give such emotions! You see, you can surprise with a well-honed technique, but you can touch, hook so much that you close your eyes and enjoy - only with sincere passion.

And a sense of style is also very important. When I sang in Palermo, they asked me: “How do you know Donizetti’s style so well? Did you study in Italy?” I never studied! I just listen to the right old singers - the so-called "black and white recordings" - and follow the style. I will never sing Tchaikovsky like Donizetti and vice versa. This is something even branded singers sometimes do.

Pussy Riot and "Prince Igor"

How do you feel about so-called director's operas, when classics are presented in an unexpected production?

Veronica Dzhioeva: With understanding. Although I don't like kinks. In the fall I worked in Hamburg in “Prince Igor” directed by David Pountney. Strange, ugly look. Prince Galitsky and the choir rape a pioneer girl - they tear off her clothes, everything happens in the toilet... And at the end Pussy Riot came out - stupid girls in hats and torn tights. In "Prince Igor"! The German public didn’t like it, although there were those who squealed with delight... After that, I went to sing in Madrid - at the same time I went there to support my friends who were busy in “Boris Godunov”. The director is different. The opera is over - Pussy Riot is released again. Well, what kind of fashion is this?! It’s as if there is nothing else in Russia. It was very unpleasant.

Another trendy thing is television shows. In 2011, you took first place in the all-Russian television competition "Big Opera". Although, frankly speaking, there were no worthy opponents for you there. Why did you need this?

Veronica Dzhioeva: It’s just that the project fit well into my work schedule: filming took place exactly on the days when I was free. Well, I thought it would be an interesting experience. Although the conditions were terrible: the orchestra is located far behind the singer, rehearsals last three minutes, the aria cannot be sung to the end. All this, of course, is terribly far from professionalism. However, such projects work to popularize opera. What is good in itself is something that is sorely lacking in Russia.

As one would expect, after the “Grand Opera” I received invitations from everywhere to come and give a concert: Ufa, Dnepropetrovsk, Alma-Ata. I never thought that they could even know me there! But there is no time. The only city in which I found the opportunity to perform in the near future is Petrozavodsk. They say that the musical theater there has undergone a luxurious renovation, and the hall has very good acoustics. The performance is scheduled for April 22. The main reason I agreed is that the proceeds from this concert will go towards the restoration of the temple.

Do you have any desire to go on stage?

Veronica Dzhioeva: There is such an idea. I had the experience of performing Time to say good bye in a duet with Italian tenor Alessandro Safina. It worked out well, we should continue. There is no time yet to start recording and implement a full-fledged project. But I really want to demonstrate that I can sing well not only opera, but also pop works. These are, you know, completely different things.

"I'm not a cockroach vocalist"

Your husband Alim Shakhmametyev is a famous musician: chief conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic, artistic director of the orchestra of the Opera and Ballet Theater of the St. Petersburg Conservatory... How do two stars get along in one family?

Veronica Dzhioeva: One star - me. True, Alim tells me: “Nature has given you too much, and you are lazy, using only ten percent of your talent.”

But seriously, I obey my husband in everything. When I’m “flying away,” he will stop, advise, and guide. He is the one who manages all my affairs, so everything is always organized flawlessly.

At the same time, for some reason you don’t have your own website. There is no place to see the tour schedule, to hear the recordings that you yourself consider successful...

Veronica Dzhioeva: Oh, but I don’t like anything! I used to be very upset when I saw what kind of recordings from my performances were posted on YouTube. And I don’t always sing well there, and I don’t look very good. However, it was thanks to online videos that I got a great agent. So it's not so bad.

And how I shake every time after a performance - horror! I can’t sleep all night, I worry: well, I could have done better! Why didn’t she sing like that, why didn’t she turn like that? By morning you’ll sing the whole part again in your head several times. But from conversations with other singers I know that this is normal. Walking around like a Gogol after a performance and saying: “Oh, how good I was today,” is not something a real artist will do. So, compared to some people, I am not a “cockroach” vocalist.

About Ossetia

The war did not spare my family. In the early 1990s, shells flew into our house and bullets ricocheted. I had to live in the basement. Then dad took us out of the combat zone, but mom stayed behind - she was afraid for the apartment. Like many after that war, I gave birth very early - at seventeen years old. The son still lives in Ossetia. In August 2008, he also experienced the war. And Alim and I had just left for a week’s vacation in Africa. And suddenly this! It’s impossible to reach my family, I can’t fly home quickly - it’s impossible to convey this nightmare... Thank God, everyone is alive and well.

My homeland is Ossetia, but I always position myself as a Russian singer. More than once I had serious conflicts abroad, when they wrote on posters or in theater magazines: “Veronica Dzhioeva, Georgian soprano.” Why on earth?!

I sing beautifully in Georgian, and I have been invited to perform in Georgia more than once. I have great respect for Georgian culture and traditions. In recent years they have done a lot in terms of developing the art of opera. But how can I come with a concert to a country whose people killed my people? You can talk as much as you like about the fact that art is outside of politics, but Ossetians - those who have lost children, friends, loved ones - will not understand this. I sincerely hope that soon the relations between our peoples will change for the better - and then I will be happy to perform in Georgia. After all, we are close, and all the terrible tragedies between us are the result of cynical political speculation.