Biography

Burak Bilgili started his opera and voice studies with Professor Güzin Gürel at Mimar Sinan University Istanbul-Turkey.

In 1998 he won the first place and a scholarship to study music in the Unite States, in the Operatic Arts section of the Siemens Company's first Artistic Award of the Year in Turkey.
In March of 1999, he won the Sedat Gürel-Güzin Gürel Science and Art Foundation award to study at the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA), Philadelphia, PA, USA where he was accepted for advanced operatic studies. After his graduation, he studied at the Lyric Academia Parma with Maestro Bonaldo Giaotti and Katia Riccaerelli using the Zehra Yildiz Science and Art Foundation's scholarship. During his stay at Parma, he also gave a concert with Katia Riccaerelli.

A recipient of numerous awards, the young Turkish bass Burak Bilgili has been busy collecting top prizes including First Prizes in the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition 2002 in Vienna, the International Alfredo Kraus Competition 2002 in Las Palmas, the Neue Stimmen International Opera Competition in 2001, the Mario Lanza Opera Competition, and the J. Parkinson Italian Opera Competition. He was also a winner of the Loren Zachary Opera Competition, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Voice Competition, and was First Place winner in both the Giargiari Bel Canto Voice Competition.

From his professional operatic début at the Teatro alla Scala in the 2002-03 season as Don Alfonso in Lucrezia Borgia, Mr. Bilgili has enjoyed a busy international schedule of engagements. He opens the 2005-2006 season with his return to the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto for Banquo in Macbeth, followed by Timur in Turandot for the New York City Opera, Leporello in Vancouver, and Banquo for his Seattle Opera début. Mr. Bilgili makes role débuts this season including Escamillo in Carmen at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, and the bass solo in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony which he will perform with the Louisville Orchestra. Future seasons will bring him to Den Norske Oper for Escamillo, to the Las Palmas Opera Festival for Colline in La bohème and to the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino for his début as Padre Guardiano in La forza del destino. Also in 2006-07 he returns to the Vancouver Opera for the role of Banquo and to Toronto for his début in the role of Walter in Luisa Miller. In 2008 he will début in Geneva as Leporello in Don Giovanni.

Highlights of Mr. Bilgili’s 2004-05 season included two débuts: his Canadian Opera Company début in Toronto as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, followed by his début at the Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona as Timur in Turandot. Also in the season he was Colline in La bohème and Don Basilio in Barbiere at the Cincinnati Opera Festival.

Mr. Bilgili made his Metropolitan Opera début as Leporello in a new production of Don Giovanni in the 2003-2004 season, under the baton of Maestro Andrew Davis. His schedule in 2003-04 also included house débuts with Pittsburgh Opera, Vancouver Opera as Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Virginia Opera as Mefisto in Faust

In 2002 he débuted as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Rome Opera and Palm Beach Opera and débuted as Sparafucile in Baltimore Opera’s Rigoletto. Other highlights of previous seasons include Fauré’s Requiem in France with the Lyon Symphony Orchestra and Istanbul European Choir, and solo recitals at the 25th and 28th International Istanbul Music Festival as part of the Young Soloist Series. Mr. Bilgili appeared in recital singing Schubert's Winterreise at the Austrian Consulate Cultural Office in Istanbul, and took part in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program where he performed Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte and Betto in Gianni Schicchi. Mr. Bilgili also appeared as soloist in Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass with the Istanbul European Choir, and joined the Istanbul State Opera as Don Geronio in Il Turco in Italia and Abimelech in Samson et Dalila. He was the Bass soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Istanbul Symphony Orchestra and Istanbul State Opera Chorus. With the Mimar Sinan University Orchestra, Mr. Bilgili sang Fauré’s Requiem and performed  Schaunard in La bohème.

A graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Mr. Bilgili’s repertoire there included the title role in Don Giovanni, Count Rodolfo in La sonnambula and Colline in La bohème. Mr. Bilgili also graduated from the Conservatory of Mimar Sinan University in 2000.

At the present time, Burak Bilgili is a student of Maestro William Schuman.