Honoured Artist of Russia.
Leonid Zakhozhaev was born in Krasnodar in the South of Russia.
His
development to the position of a leading tenor at the Kirov Opera
(Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg) went through a number of stages.
Having graduated from St Petersburg State Academy of Theatre, Music and
Cinema as a dramatic actor, he worked in theatre, created roles in the
cinema and on television and had some success as a rock and pop singer
in 80-s underground culture. In 1989 he realized his true vocation and
entered the St Petersburg State Conservatoire.
While a student he sang leading roles at the Conservatoire Opera Theatre including Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Vaudemont (Iolanta), Faust, Ivan Lykov (The Tsar´s Bride),
Kuragin (War and Peace). Immediately upon graduation he was invited to
the Mariinsky (Kirov) Opera to sing Narraboth in the new production of Salomé
by world-famous director Julie Taymor, conducted by Valery Gergiev. The
premiere first took place in the legendary medieval theatre of the Ober
Ammergau and was televised throughout Europe. Its first performance at
the Mariinsky Theatre opened the White Nights Festival in 1995.
It
was as a leading tenor of the Kirov Opera, guided by Valery Gergiev,
that Leonid Zakhozhaev was first introduced to the stages of great
opera theatres and concert halls throughout the world including the
Metropolitan Opera, New York, and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
Germany´s Baden-Baden Festival (where he had a success as Siegfried),
Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Real, Madrid, the Chatelet, Paris, Italy´s
Ravenna Festival, the Savonlinna Opera Festival and Mikkeli Music
Festival in Finland, the Rotterdam Gergiev Festival and Amsterdam´s
Concertgebouw in Holland, the Kennedy Center, Washington, in Japan,
Israel, Argentina, Chile, Luxemburg, Hong-Kong, Australia, Sweden and
Brazil.
His favourite roles include:
Lohengrin (which he performed in Ravenna Festival), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Faust, Hermann (The Queen of Spades), Vaudemont (Iolanta) – which he sang in Munich, Macduff (Macbeth) – which he performed on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, Sergei (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) – performed at the Salzburg Festival and Baltimore Opera, the title role of the Berlioz´ Benvenuto Cellini, which he has also recorded under Valery Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic for Erato, and of course, Siegfried.
"Leonid
Zakhozhaev, who looked handsome and sang handsomely as the young
Siegfried, with plenty of range and endurance for the punishing final
duet with Brünnhilde" – wrote New York Times about his performance in Baden-Baden in January 2004.
His
forthcoming plans include Lohengrin in Brazil, Siegfried in Canada and
the new role of Tristan in the new production at the Mariinsky Theatre
under Valery Gergiev (to be premiered in may 2004).
His repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre includes:
Sobinin (Ivan Susanin)
Yurodiviy (Boris Godunov)
Prince Sinodal (The Demon)
Berendey (The Snow Maiden)
Indian Guest (Sadko)
Lensky (Eugene Onegin)
Prince Yury (The Enchantress)
Oedipus (Oedipus Rex)
Alexei (The Gambler)
Prince (Love for Three Oranges)
Agrippa, Mephistopheles (The Fiery Angel)
Antonio (Betrothal in a Monastery)
Sergei (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk)
Macduff (Macbeth)
Benvenuto Cellini (Benvenuto Cellini)
Faust (Gounod´s Faust and Berlioz´ La Damnation de Faust)
Énée (Les Troyens)
Hoffmann (Les Contes d´Hoffmann)
Erik (Der Fliegende Holländer)
Lohengrin (Lohengrin)
Froh (Das Rheingold)
Siegfried (Siegfried)
Siegfried (Götterdämmerung)
Tristan (Tristan und Isolde)
Narraboth (Salomé)
Bacchus (Ariadne auf Naxos)
the tenor solo in Mahler´s Das Lied von der Erde
Mariinsky Theatre:
Concert Hall:
