Georgia’s widely acclaimed mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili has been singled out by judges of the German Record Critics' Award for her recording of opera arias of famed composers.
The opera singer’s release where she performs works by Jules Massenet, Camille Saint-Saëns and Georgian composer Dimitri Arakishvili, among others, was voted for the annual prize earlier this month.
She was voted one of the winners for ten different categories that honour the best productions of the past year.
The cover for the opera singer’s debut album. Photo: Anita Rachvelishvili artist Facebook page.
“The glowing intensity of her focused voice and confident style feel reminiscent of Teresa Berganza or Marilyn Horne, while the naturally dark timbre recalls Olga Borodina.”
“This recording is more than a promise - it is a confirmation of great art”, jury member Michael Stegemann noted on behalf of the judges.
Stegemann also noted the “truly spectacular” rise of Rachvelishvili since her 2009 performance in Carmen at Teatro alla Scala, to the status of “one of the ’shooting stars’ of the international opera world”.
The Georgian opera star also received critical acclaim for a 2014 appearance in the same production at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
Rachvelishvili's performances have been hosted at prominent international venues including the Staatsoper Berlin and the San Francisco Opera.
The acclaimed opera artist won the Best Female Singer Award poll from opera review website Bachtrack and was featured in a concert celebrating France's National Day in Paris last year.
The German Record Critics' Award-winning album is the debut recording for the mezzo-soprano and was recorded with Sony Classical.
Established in 1980, the German award was created to highlight the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement and quality" for music productions.