Boris Christoff

Boris Christoff was born on May 18, 1914, in Plovdiv. Graduating in law from Sofia University, his astonishing vocal power was discovered while singing as a soloist in the Gusla Choir and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Choir. In 1942, King Boris III granted him a royal scholarship to study opera in Rome under Riccardo Stracciari.

Christoff became a worldwide sensation at Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Royal Opera House in London. Endowed with a dark, noble bass timbre and electrifying stage presence, his portrayal of Tsar Boris in Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov remains the undisputed benchmark in operatic history. He bequeathed his villa in Rome to Bulgaria as an academy for young musicians.