“Pavel Lisitsian has a voice of rare beauty.
You don't often see such a singer on the opera stage ...
The artist is the master on the stage in everything he does".
Mario del Monaco, 1959

Pavel Lisitsian inscribed his name in the history of the world opera scene as one of the brightest baritones of the 20th century. Conquered by his unusually beautiful voice, the audience applauded him at the legendary theaters La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. In the Bolshoi Theater Pavel Lisitsian spent 26 seasons, which in total amounted to 1,800 performances. The voice of Pavel Lisitsian is known for evenness and authenticity of the sound color, but at the same time there is a shade of drama, his vocal skill had a magical effect not only on the listeners, but also on the partners.

A reference performer of lyric baritone parts, Pavel Lisitsian remained in the history of the Bolshoi Theater as the unsurpassed Amonasro in “Aida” by G. Verdi (participant in the premiere performance in 1951), the unforgettable Escamillo in “Carmen” by J. Bizet, the furious and romantic Mazepa (“Mazepa” by P. I. Tchaikovsky), deeply suffering Grigory Gryaznoy in “The Tsar's Bride” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov, everywhere captivating listeners with the beauty and warmth of his voice.

The concert activity of Pavel Lisitsian was unusually intense. With a huge chamber repertoire, which was comprised from works of various epochs and styles (from Bach, Schubert, Ravel to Rachmaninov, Myaskovsky and Kabalevsky) and, of course, Tchaikovsky's romances, Armenian and Russian folk songs, he traveled all over the Soviet Union, including the Arctic regions and Sakhalin. Subtle interpreter of chamber music, the singer paid tribute to ensemble music: he sang in duets with soloists of the Bolshoi. Since the 1970s, he has performed in a family quartet with his children Ruzanna, Karina and Ruben.

Pavel Lisitsian was also a world-renowned teacher. In 1964, he headed the trainee group of young Soviet singers at the La Scala Theater. From 1967 he taught at the Yerevan Conservatory, from the late 1970s he conducted annual seminars for young opera singers in Leipzig, Weimar and Rostock. In the 1980s, he was a consultant to the Dresden Opera Studio. Following S. Lemeshev, he directed the vocal collective of the House of Scientists in Moscow. Between 1982 and 1991, he was a vocal consultant for the Bolshoi Theater. Since 1990, together with Zara Dolukhanova, he headed the International Singing School at the USSR Theater Workers Union. He was a member of the jury of many international vocal competitions.

In the late 1990s, the American Academy of Music awarded Pavel Lisitsian with international prize and merited him the title of "The Best Baritone of the 20th century".
For the 110th anniversary of Pavel Lisitsian, we have prepared a musical selection, which includes fragments from operas and romances performed by "The Best Baritone of the 20th Century".

Ref.:
Tatiana Marshkova. "The Bolshoi Theatre. Golden Voices ". - Moscow: Algorithm, 2011
Aris Kazinyan. 100 greatest Armenians of the 20th century. - Moscow, 2006.