About

Russian lyric baritone

Russian baritone Alexey Gusev graduated from the Rostov State Conservatoire with a degree in Master of Voice, Opera and Concert Singing.

Early recognition as an outstanding young talent led to his appointment as principal baritone at the Rostov State Opera and Ballet Theatre, singing all major baritone roles over a period of seven years. He subsequently joined the Astrakhan State Theatre before moving to the West to take up a scholarship for an MM (Opera) degree at RCS. During this period he took part in Masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen, Dennis O’Neill CBE, Ann Murray DBE, Michael Chance, Karen Cargill and lessons with Simon Keenlyside and Vladimir Chernov.

Alexey has recently completed two consecutive seasons at Scottish Opera—2017/18 & 2018/19. For the company’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, he sang the role of Robert in a line-up of singers from the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres. “Alexey Gusev’s Robert is impressive, and one to watch” theopera critic.com.

Summer Opera last season: Alexey made his debut as Marcello for Clonter Opera in a fully staged production by Harry Fehr. The Manchester Theatre Awards hailed him a “natural actor as well as a very fine baritone”.

Roles performed

An early start as a professional singer has gained Alexey extensive experience in staged productions. His roles include:

• Papageno – Die Zauberflote;
• Count Almaviva – Le nozze di Figaro;
• Robert – Iolanta (Tchaikovsky);
• Prince Yeletsky – The Queen of Spades;
• Valentine – Faust;
• Morales – Carmen;
• Harlequin & Wigmaker ─ Ariadne auf Naxos;
• Onegin & Captain ─ Eugene Onegin;
• Ragiami – Die Bajadere (Kalman);
• Composer – Russian Roulette (A. Khevelev);
• Pelleas – Pelleas & Melisande;
• Stenio – Maddalena (Prokofiev);
• Orpheus – Les Malheurs d'Orphée ( Milhaud);
• Young Man – Semyon Kotko (Prokofiev);
• Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Napoleon – War & Peace ;
• Grigory Stepanovitch Smirnov – The Bear (Walton);
• Marullo – Rigoletto; Marcello – La Boheme.

On CD

Alexey has recorded Russian songs with pianist Malcolm Martineau for the acclaimed series: Decades: A Century of Song Vol 3.

Festival appearances include “ En Blanc et Noir” Festival in France; “Golden Mask” Russian Performing Arts Festival (Moscow), and Llandeilo Festival of Music (Wales). He has performed extensively in concerts throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK, including Scottish Opera’s 17- venue Opera Highlights tour.

“This was singing at its sublime best, from an artist whose stage presence more than matched his impressive vocal ability" Julia Jones, Artistic Director, Llandeilo Fawr Festival of Music.