Uzbekistan: Dmitri Vargin

Dmitri Vargin was born in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where his interest in singing was first awakened as a student of Choral Direction in high school. After graduation in 1998 he studied voice with Prof Abdukadirov at the Tashkent Conservatory.

Since 2001 he has been a pupil at the State Academy of Music and Theatre in Hamburg, Germany, including master classes with Kurt Moll and Franz Grundheber.

Dmitri Vargin has appeared in numerous productions within and outside the Academy: Junius (The Rape of Lucretia), Peter (Hänsel und Gretel), Marcello (La Bohème), and Pappacoda (Eine Nacht in Venedig by Johann Strauss). In June 2005, with the role of Demetrius (A Midsummer Night's Dream), he completed the requirements for his Opera Diploma cum Laude.

During his last year at the Academy he appeared as guest of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf in the role of Silvio Pagliacci. This highly successful debut led to his engagement as a resident baritone soloist and future roles include Pelleas, Belcore and Onegin.

He also appeared at Erfurt Opera as Papageno Die Zauberflöte and at the Hamburg State Opera as Tusenbach in Tri Sestri by Peter Eötvös.

Spare-time interests include playing jazz and pop on the piano and spending time with his young son.

Repertoire details for Concert 2:

Concert 2 - Monday 11 June

• Gounod: O sainte médaille...Avant de quitter ces lieux (Faust)
• Mendelssohn: Es ist genug (Elias)
• Mozart: Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo (Così fan tutte)

With BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk