This summer, Pirgu makes his role debut as Mario Cavaradossi Tosca at the Roma Caracalla Festival, as well as his Edinburgh International Festival debut as Don José Carmen. Highlights of the 2024/25 season include a role debut as Chevalier des Grieux in Barry Kosky’s new production of Manon Lescaut & a reprisal of the title role in Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Opernhaus Zürich, as well as a return to the Wiener Staatsoper as the title role in Roméo et Juliette, Rodolfo La Bohème, and Macduff Macbeth.
On the concert platform this season, Pirgu performs Verdi Requiem with both the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conducted by Daniel Harding, and with the Bergen Philharmonic conducted by Jader Bignamini. Elsewhere, he sings with Washington National Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven Missa Solemnis conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, with the Sofia Philharmonic in Beethoven Symphony No. 9 for the Masters of Classical Music Festival in Bucharest and appears at the Wiener Konzerthaus, Obecní Dům in Prague & National Culture Palace in Sofia in a concert tour with Angela Gheorghiu.
Recent operatic highlights include a role debut as the title role in Ernani at Bregenzer Festspiele, Pinkerton Madama Butterfly at Teatro di San Carlo, Rodolfo La Bohème at Wiener Staatsoper, Il Duca di Mantova Rigoletto & Rodolfo La Bohème at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Don José Carmen at Opernhaus Zürich, Lenskij Evgenij Onegin at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, as well as title roles Idomeneo at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, and Les Contes d'Hoffmann & Faust at Opernhaus Zürich. On the concert stage, highlights include Beethoven Symphony No. 9 at Staatsoper Unter den Linden with Daniel Barenboim, Bruckner Te Deum at Osterfestspiele Salzburg with Christian Thielemann and Puccini Messa di Gloria at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Sir Antonio Pappano.
In 2009 Pirgu was awarded the Franco Corelli Prize of the Teatro delle Muse of Ancona for his performance in La traviata, and in 2013 he was awarded the prestigious “Pavarotti d’Oro”.
The DVD/Blu-Ray recording of Król Roger from the Royal Opera House Covent Garden with Saimir as Shepherd received a nomination in the Best Opera Recording category at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards 2016. The same year, Pirgu released his most recent solo album “Il Mio Canto” with Opus Arte. He presented the CD in a world tour that led him to Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Tokyo, New York, Florence and Tirana.
Pirgu has been an ambassador for Down Syndrome Albania, a foundation dedicated to helping children with Down Syndrome, since 2013.
2024/25 season / 484 words. Not to be altered without permission.