Saimir Pirgu wins ‘Pavarrotti d’Oro’ award

TIRANA, Albania’s internationally renowned tenor Saimir Pirgu has been announced the winner of the ‘Pavarotti d’Oro’ annual award organized by the Correggio commune of the Reggio Emilia in honour of Luciano Pavarotti, one of Italy’s greatest tenors. Pirgu, who has had a busy agenda in European tours this year, will be handed the Pavarotti award on Sept. 22 in the Asioli theatre. The previous five Pavarotti awards have been won by tenors Jos衃arreras and Andrea Bocelli, sopranos Mirella Freni and Raina Kabaivanska and singer Zucchero.
“If I feel lucky, it’s because I had the chance to meet Pavarotti and develop a friendship with him. Since we knew each other, he always tried to help me perfect my voice,” Pirgu tells an Albanian portal in Italy.
Back in 2012, Albanian tenor Saimir Pirgu won the DC Theatre Scene Audience Choice Awards 2012 as “Best actor in an opera” for his interpretation of Edgardo in the “Lucia di Lammermoor” at Washington National Opera in November 2011.
With debuts and regular guest engagements in new productions with top conductors on the most important international operatic platforms in Europe and Japan already at the age of 30, tenor Saimir Pirgu is emerging as one of the most sought-after lyric tenors on the current opera scene.
Other highlights of Pirgu’s career include debuts and regular engagements at the Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, ABAO in Bilbao, Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin Royal Opera House Covent Garden etc.
A native of Elbasan, Albania, Saimir Pirgu was born in September 1981 and began his musical studies early on.