Giorgio Berrugi

Giorgio Berrugi is an Italian operatic tenor.

Musical education

Born in Pisa, Italy, Berrugi was a clarinetist, graduating summa cum laude from the Istituto “Mascagni” of Livorno. Further studies at the Accademia teatro alla scala (course for professional orchestral musicians), the Accademia di Imola for chamber music, and the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, where he was awarded the Premio Lucchesini. Berrugi was winner of several international prizes both as a solo clarinetist and as a member of the Alban Berg Duo, including first prizes at the Rome (2002) and Bologna international chamber music competitions. In 2002 he won the Solo Clarinet chair of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, which he held until 2006. Further vocal studies followed with Francisco Araiza and with pianist Eytan Pessen, with whom he has also performed a recital at the Ian Rosenblatt Recital Series at Wigmore Hall.

Career

In 2010 Giorgio Berrugi was invited by opera director Eytan Pessen to the ensemble of the Dresden Semperoper where he stayed until 2013; with that company he debuted roles including Don José in Carmen, Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto, and Gennarino in the world première of Hans Werner Henze‘s Gisela!. Giorgio Berrugi with Composer Hans Werner Henze and co-librettist Michael Kerstan during rehearsals for the World premiere of the Dresden version of Gisela!

Berrugi's Dresden years propelled him to an international career. Since 2013 Berrugi has performed in opera theatres and festivals all over the world. In Italy he has performed at the Teatro La Scala (Verdi Requiem and Simon Boccanegra), the Teatro Massimo di Palermo (Rodolfo, Edgardo), the Teatro Regio (Turin) (Tamino, Rodolfo, Edgardo), the Teatro Verdi di Salerno (Rodolfo), the Arena di Verona Festival (Roméo, Pinkerton, Ismaele in Nabucco),the Teatro di San Carlo (Nemorino, Rodolfo in Luisa Miller), the Teatro Municipale di Piacenza (Hoffmann). Berrugi also performs frequently with the Italian soprano Maria Agresta.

International appearances include the San Francisco Opera (Rodolfo), the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Rodolfo), the Opéra de Marseille (Cavaradossi), Oviedo (Rodolfo), Lucerne (Verdi Requiem), the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Verdi Requiem), the Gewandhaus, Suntory Hall, Japan, Wigmore Hall, London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, (Cavaradossi), and the Savonlinna Opera Festival (Pinkerton). Daniel Oren, Christian Thielemann, Fabio Luisi, Gustavo Dudamel, Pinchas Steinberg, Nicola Luisotti, Myung-whun Chung, and Jaap van Zweden. Berrugi’s voice has been described as a tenor of radiant, honeyed color, "clear bright tone" and typically Italianate timbre, contributing to his association with the tenor roles of Puccini and Verdi, but he has performed numerous French roles and sings a varied repertoire including modern works by Henze and others.

Personal life Giorgio Berrugi is married and has a son.

Repertoire

Operatic Roles Composer Opera Role Where performed Puccini La bohème Rodolfo Teatro La Fenice, Semperoper Dresden, Staatsoper Hamburg, San Francisco Opera, New Israeli Opera Tel Aviv, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Teatro di San Carlo Napoli, Teatro Verdi di Salerno, Ópera de Oviedo, Deutsche Oper Berlin (2016), Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Teatro Regio di Torino R. Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Italian Tenor Royal Opera House Covent Garden (2016) R. Strauss Capriccio Ein italienischer Sänger Semperoper Dresden Mozart Die Zauberflöte Tamino Teatro Regio di Torino Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor Edgardo Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Teatro Regio di Torino Donizetti L'elisir d'amore Nemorino Semperoper Dresden, Teatro di San Carlo, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Bizet Carmen Don José Semperoper Dresden Gounod Roméo et Juliette Roméo Arena di Verona Berlioz La damnation de Faust Faust Budapest Bela Bartok National Concert Hall Offenbach Les contes d'Hoffmann Hoffmann Teatro Municipale di Piacenza, Teatro Comunale di Modena, Teatro Valli di Reggio Emilia Henze Gisela! Gennarino Semperoper Dresden

Concert Repertoire Composer Work Role Venues Puccini Messa di Gloria solo tenor MDR Leipzig Verdi Messa da Requiem solo tenor Teatro alla Scala, Palau de les arts Valencia, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris, Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Hallé Manchester, Luzern Konzertsaal, Dallas Meyerson Symphony Center, Cesis Concert Hall Latvia, Teatro Regio di Torino (Hong Kong Tour 2016)