On June 26 at 9:00 p.m., the square in front of the Ruse Opera House will host one of the most anticipated musical evenings of the “Stage Under the Stars” festival. The “3 Tenors – Gala Evening” concert, conducted by Dimitar Kosev and accompanied by the Ruse State Opera Orchestra, brings together three distinguished tenors - Boris Lukov, Mihail Mihaylov, and Petar Kostov - who will present a program of beloved opera arias and popular Italian canzonets.
В навечерието на концерта се срещаме последователно с тримата солисти, за да им зададем едни и същи кратки въпроси за сцената, оперната музика и вдъхновението. Първи в поредицата е Борис Луков, който споделя защо не вярва в съревнованието между артистите, какво е да пееш под звездите пред многобройна публика и кой легендарен тенор остава неговият голям пример. Борис Луков е сред пионерите на формата „Тримата тенори“ в България. От 2008 година е част от първото българско трио в този жанр, с което има над 2000 концертни изяви. Сред значимите моменти в кариерата му е концертът на триото през 2012 година в Америка на сцената на Symphony Space в Ню Йорк.
When three tenors share the stage, is there more competition or more inspiration from one another? ли има или повече вдъхновение един от друг?
The stage should not be an arena, nor should art be a competition. When you share it with colleagues - especially with other tenors - you have the opportunity to present certain works in a unique way. Voices always complement each other, and the secret lies in the right formula and the proper distribution of the parts. Our goal is for each singer to perform the part of the song or aria that most fully reveals the qualities of his or her voice.
Among all the arias and canzonets you perform, is there a piece that moves you every time as if you were singing it for the first time?
Nerves are a very treacherous and unwelcome companion in the life of an opera singer. It’s as if a Formula 1 driver were to start the race feeling nervous - he’d crash at the very first turn. On stage, you must always remain calm and prepared in order to present the piece in its purest form. We leave the excitement to our dear audience.
The concert is an open-air event in the square in front of the Opera House - how does it feel different for an artist to sing under the stars in front of such a large audience?
Singing outdoors in front of a large audience and against the backdrop of the city’s natural scenery is always a pleasant experience for me. On an indoor stage, the atmosphere is much more intimate, and you have more resources at your disposal. Here, you step out and are truly the centre of attention, which comes with a great deal of responsibility.
If you could invite a legendary tenor from the past to perform on stage for one night, who would you choose and why?
If I could invite anyone, it would undoubtedly be Mario Del Monaco. To me, he is the greatest tenor of all time. He is one of the founders and most prominent representatives of the Arturo Melocchi school. An iconic tenor who inspired and ignited a passion for opera in hundreds of thousands of people after World War II. His active concert career, his participation in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest, and his performances of popular music largely served as a prototype for what we see decades later in the concerts of The Three Tenors.
