Soprano Nafset Chenib, who gave a magnificent concert with José Carreras at the Sochi Paralympics closing ceremony and has performed solo with many renowned orchestras, is in Istanbul, which she describes as the city she is in love with.
“Leyla Gencer is one of my favorite artists, and I am thrilled to perform at the hall named after her. I hope to collect some amazing Circassian songs, arrange them with different music genres, and introduce them to people from other countries and cultures,” Nafset says.
Nafset Chenib is an award-winning opera/crossover Circassian soprano from Adygea, Russia, who rose to the top of her field despite being born blind. She has won several international voice competitions and performed solo with Russia’s most renowned orchestras such as Vladimir Spivakov’s Moscow Virtuosi, Svetlanov State Academic Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Bolshoi’s Chamber Orchestra. Her notable achievements include headlining, along with José Carreras, the closing ceremony of the Winter Paralympics held in Sochi, Russia, in 2014.
She has also performed as an actress in Chekhov Moscow Art Theater. As a child prodigy, she was a member of the elite UNESCO choir performing with international stars such Montserrat Caballé, Angela Gheorghiu, and Roberto Alagna in front of select audiences and dignitaries, including Pope John Paul II.
Nafset has graduated with the highest honors from the Moscow Academy of Choral Arts and completed a Professional Studies program at the Manhattan School of Music training with Prof. Maitland Peters, the Vocal Department Chair and one of the most prominent voice teachers in New York City.
She is an Honoured Artist of Adygea and the recipient of the MSM’s Pablo Casals Award for Musical Accomplishment and Human Endeavor.
Nafset’s voice is praised for its wide range and unique warm timbre. Her diverse repertoire ranges from classical opera arias and cantatas to Broadway hits and jazz standards to popular songs and Russian romances.
