01/09/2025
๐ก๐ถ๐ธ๐ผ๐น๐ฎ ๐ก๐ถ๐ธ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ (March 23, 1925 - July 8, 2007) was a Bulgarian opera singer (tenor) and vocal pedagogue, who sang on the world opera stages in the second half of the 20th century. His voice has been described as a beautiful, powerful tenor, brilliant in the highs and expressive in the middle and low registers. In his long singing career Nikola Nikolov sang almost all the central tenor parts of the Italian masters.
His first international awards were the gold medals at the World Youth Festival in Berlin (1951) and in Bucharest (1953). In 1953, he went to Moscow for specialization.
At the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre he took part in the premiere of Les vรชpres siciliennes as Arrigo. Iinvited to the Bolshoi Theatre, he sang in Carmen and Madama Butterfly, and made a long tour of the Soviet Union.
After returning to Bulgaria (1956), as a soloist of the Sofia Opera he performed Don Josรฉ and Manrico, and participated in the premieres of Turandot, Les vรชpres siciliennes, Tosca, La bohรจme, Moniuszko' Halka, Cavalleria rusticana, Otello.
In 1956, at the Viotti competition in Vercelli, he won first place among tenors and fourth place in the overall standings. This was followed by specialization in Italy (1957โ1959), where he worked with vocal pedagogue Zita Fumagali Riva.
On February 11, 1959, Nikola Nikolov made his debut at La Scala in Bedลich Smetana's The Bartered Bride, conducted by Lovro von Mataฤiฤ. In Vercelli, he sang Cavaradossi from Puccini's Tosca. Critics point out his success both in singing and artistic terms.
After La Scala, he sang at the London's Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Vienna State Opera, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the San Carlo in Naples, the Teatro la Fenice in Venice, the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, the Sรฃo Carlos in Lisbon, the Rome Opera House and other around the world.
