Julia Samsonova-Hayet

The gala concert of Raina Kabaivanska's 2017 master class, given in Sofia on 24 September with the orchestra of the National Opera, brought Julia Samsonova-Hayet before its audience. Strahinja Djokic, Svjetlana Djokic, Eva Jeong and Marily Santoro sang on the same programme. She is a Lithuanian mezzo-soprano based in Italy. She took a diploma in choral conducting, piano and voice at the M. K. Ciurlionis Gymnasium of Arts in Vilnius, then graduated with honours in voice from the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro and continued at the Accademia di Musica Lirica in Osimo, later at the Academie Musicale de Villecroze and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena. Her teachers included Raina Kabaivanska, Enzo Dara, Regina Resnik and Sylvia Sass. She won the As.Li.Co competition in 2005 and the Citta di Bologna competition in 2009. Julija Samsonova-Khayet is a Lithuanian mezzo-soprano whose career encompasses opera, concert singing and stage direction. Her roles have included Adalgisa, Azucena, Fenena and Santuzza at Sofia National Opera, alongside appearances in Italy at La Scala, La Fenice and other theatres. She sang Lady Gladys in the premiere of Alberto Colla's Delitto e Dovere at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto. Her work as a director includes productions of La traviata and Madama Butterfly.