MUNICH--()--The performance by the Russian singer at the improvised singing contest staged by the maestro during the interval produced a sensation at the concert put on in the town of Portofino, an Italian Riviera gem, on 12 August.
The world is always looking forward to musical festivals and concerts of the top opera stars in Portofino. Yesterday the splendid town hosted an open-air concert by the prominent Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The concert was produced by Canadian David Foster, a 14-time Grammy Award-winner, of them three awards as the 'Best Producer.' The organizers turned the entire town into a stage, putting lights on buildings and organizing live broadcasts in numerous cafés and restaurants, thus enabling the residents and guests to act as the audience and extras at the same time.
During the interval the maestro drew the audience into a habitual improvised conversation and challenged his viewers to sing something. A girl stood up in the VIP front row, reserved for famous actors, producers, musicians, including Michael Caine, Paul Anka, Mike Medavoy and Interpol General Secretary Ronald Noble, and sang a few measures. She turned out to be the daughter of Italian movie star Ornella Muti.
After a round of applause, the maestro asked: 'Is there anyone else wishing to perform?' An oriental girl stood up from her seat and introduced herself as 'Aida from Kazan, Russia.' Aida sang the famous soprano aria 'O mio babbino caro' from the opera 'Gianni Schicchi' by Giacomo Puccini. The audience gave her a standing ovation. The second standing ovation of the night was given at the very end, when the audience thanked Maestro Bocelli for the concert.
The singer who mentioned only her name and the country was Aida Garifullina, a young talent from Kazan, a graduate of the Vienna Conservatory, the class of Professor Claudia Visca. Aida Garifullina has sung duets with acclaimed Russian and world opera stars. Her official website www.aidagarifullina.com features her performances of famous arias and romances by the great composers of the late XIX century.
Earlier, on 9 August, Aida performed in London, where distinguished guests of the Olympics gathered in the Russian House for London 2012 at Kensington Gardens for the annual benefit night 'Russian Rhapsody,' which was previously attended by the brightest stars of classical music from Russia and foreign countries, including Valery Gergiev and Marina Poplavskaya.
On 11 August, Aida was invited to the 'Russian House' again to celebrate the Olympic champions together with popular rock bands Bi-2 and Okean Elzy, as well as Silvia Machete, Sberbank of Russia President German Gref, President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov and President of the Sochi-2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko.
Aida's focus on the Olympic movement is attributed to her important mission of an ambassador of the 2013 Summer Universiade, which will take place in her native Kazan next year.