Born in 1981 in the Albanian Elbsan, SAIMIR PIRGU is one of the leading tenors in the international Opera Panorama. At just 22 years old, Claudio Abbado chose him for Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte in Ferrara, a role which he then sung in the Salzburg Festival in 2004. Soon after, he began an important collaboration with the Wiener Staatsoper which continues to this day. Important role debuts followed this, which led him to the most important opera stages in the world: Wiener Staatsoper, Met, Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opera National de Paris, Teatro dell‘Opera Roma, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcellona, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Arena di Verona, Teatro Colón di Buenos Aires, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opernhaus Zürich, Nomori Opera Tokio. the last Seasons were marked by acclaimed performances worldwide: Rodolfo (Washington), Alfredo (Berlin, San Francisco, Zürich, New York), Duca (London, Zürich, Verona), Edgardo (Los Angeles), Tito (Paris), Macduff (Florenz), Tebaldo (San Francisco), Don Ottavio (Verona). At the Wiener Staatsoper he has sung among others, Ferrando, Ottavio, Fenton, Nemorino, Alfredo and Edmondo until now.     http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node/home/kuenstler/saengerinnen/Pirgu.en.php