(Credit: Courtesy of TACT International)

Boris Pinkhasovich is one of today’s rising baritones. Born in Saint Petersburg to a family of musicians, he studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory of Music and in 2011 became an ensemble member at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.

His career eventually went international after major debuts at the Royal Opera House, Paris Opera, Monte Carlo Opera, and Wiener Staatsoper Since then he has also performed at teh Teatro alla Scala, Semperoper Dresden, and Bayerische Staatsoper. And this season the baritone heads to New York to make his Metropolitab Opera debut.

OperaWire spoke to Pinkhasovich about his rise to stardom, performing Tchaikovsky and his upcoming debuts.

OperaWire: This season you sang in “The Queen of Spades” in a new production at the Bayerische Staatsoper. Tell me about this role and what excites you about singing Tchaikovsky’s work.

Boris Pinkhasovich: For me, performing Tchaikovsky is not only a great joy but also a great responsibility. Just as Italians rightfully claim Verdi and embody the style and emotions of his music, we, Russian singers, can proudly say “Viva Tchaikovsky” and look up to him, because his music, with its emotional depth, means everything to us.

Yeletsky is a role I have sung many times, but it never loses its excitement and fresh emotion when I sing the aria “Ya vas lyublyu”- a striking example of Tchaikovsky’s genius.

OW: How does singing in Russian differ from singing in French and Italian?

BP: For me, it does not matter which language I sing in. We are not talking about pronunciation. Linguistic features are studied separately and then applied, but the correct vocal technique is paramount and the key to everything.

OW: You’ll be returning to the role in June 2025 with a mostly Russian cast at the Wiener Staatsoper. What excites you about this revival and cast?

BP: I already performed in this production by Vera Nemirova in 2022. It is wonderfully staged, in a way traditional but with some interesting, fresh perspectives on the story and characters. In the upcoming year 2025, we expect new faces in the cast, including Yusif Eyvazov, with whom I have already performed in “Pique Dame,” and Anna Netrebko, who will make her role debut as Lisa in Vienna. I am very much looking forward to performing this monumental work of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky again at the Vienna State Opera.

OW: You’ll be singing Robert in “Iolanta”. How different is the music in this opera from “The Queen of Spades”?

BP: This is a very long discussion and a big topic, so we’ll leave that to the musicologists. For my part, I can say that both works were written in the last three years, before Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s death and therefore it is more significant, that “Iolanta”, his last opera, celebrates not only sunlight and love but ends in C major with a happy ending.

Unusually for Tchaikovsky’s operas, there is no tragedy or death. Yet, every note is imbued with an underlying sorrow, for Tchaikovsky never composed joyful music, not even in his ballets.

OW: How did Tchaikovsky’s writing evolve from these two operas and which of the characters do you have more in common with?

BP: I would say both characters are somewhat similar. One, Robert, is a knight, and the other, Yeletsky, is a prince. What connects them is that neither truly loves their chosen ones. In Robert’s case, it is understandable—he was ordered to marry Iolanta, but he loves someone else. As for Yeletsky, I believe he doesn’t love Liza either. This might be an unexpected interpretation for many, as everyone considers him a very sweet character with a beautiful aria. However, I see it differently, and in my opinion, if you sing and interpret him more strictly and coldly, the music only benefits.

OW: You’re making your house debut at the Metropolitan Opera and the Zurich Opera. What excites you most about these debuts?

BP: The first encounter with a new theatre is always exciting—meeting new people, collaborating with a new orchestra, exploring a new stage, and discovering how the voice sounds in a new auditorium. It is also a huge responsibility to meet the expectations of those who invited you and of the audience. My Met debut will also mark my first appearance on the other side of the Atlantic, and I very much look forward to performing in this most prestigious theatre and to connecting with an audience that has experienced all the great singers of our time.

OW: How do you pace yourself as your career continues to advance and become more international?

BP: I never think, and have never thought, in terms of career. What matters to me is singing the right roles, not forcing my voice into a repertoire that would harm it, and being as faithful as possible to the composers and the works I am performing. I have absolute confidence that everything will happen exactly when it should, and if it doesn’t, it simply wasn‘t meant to be.

OW: What are some of the highlights of your career thus far and what are your hopes and dreams as you continue?

BP: I was fortunate to start my international career at such prestigious theatres as the Bayerische Staatsoper and the Wiener Staatsoper. I greatly enjoy singing at the Royal Opera House in London, and my debut at Teatro alla Scala in April 2023 was another dream come true. I am even more pleased that these theatres continue to invite me back, with exciting projects planned for years ahead. On the 30th of June, I sang my 47th performance in a major role at the Vienna State Opera. Considering that my debut there as Figaro in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” was only six years ago, I think this overall balance is quite good.

OW: You became an Austrian citizen. Why was this an important decision and how does Austria inspire your music-making?

BP: As I already mentioned, the Vienna State Opera is the most important stage for me, and Vienna is undoubtedly not only one of the centers of the music world but also a place, where I feel at home. Therefore, becoming an Austrian citizen is a great honor and joy, and I am very grateful to the Vienna State Opera for their trust and support.

OW: What do you look forward to in the coming 2024-25 season?

BP: It will be a very intense and interesting season with two house debuts: at the Zurich Opera House as Enrico in “Lucia di Lammermoor” and at the Metropolitan Opera as Marcello in “La Bohème”. Additionally, I will have a role debut as Valentin at the Royal Opera House in London, and participate in a new production of “Iolanta” at the Vienna State Opera, where I will perform as Robert alongside Sonya Yoncheva as Iolanta. I will also appear as Yeletsky at both the Bayerische Staatsoper and the Vienna State Opera.