He was born in Tbilisi in 1963 and studied at the State Conservatory in his hometown. At the age of 26, he made his debut as Renato in the opera Un ballo in maschera at the Tbilisi National Theatre. In 1991, he won first prize and the Grand Prix at the Francisco Viñas Internationa Singing Competition in Barcelona, while in 1996 he took the first place at the 15th Belvedere Competition in Vienna. In the same year, he began his international career singing the most prestigious roles of his repertoire at the most important opera houses in the world (Vienna State Opera, Berlin State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Bavarian State Opera). An important moment in his career was his collaboration with the conductor Riccardo Muti in the production of Macbeth at La Scala in Milan (1997). In 2000, Lado Ataneli sang the role of Nabucco in Verdi’s opera of the same name for the first time under the baton of conductor James Conlon at the Paris Opera. The reviews he received were laudatory and since then he has been invited to perform the role several times. Three years later, he sang alongside Placido Domingo in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of I Pagliacci at the Royal Opera House in London. In the same year, he sang the role of Barnaba in the opera Gioconda, under the direction of Marcello Viotti, again alongside Placido Domingo. In 2005 he recorded his first solo CD entitled Opera Arias and in 2007 he gave a recital at the Berlin State Opera. He has received several awards for his artistic activities, while a scholarship competition has been set up in his name. The first competition took place in Tbilisi in March 2010. At the Greek National Opera, he sang the role of Scarpia in the opera Tosca (2012). // Last update of the biography: November 2023 - The list of productions below is complete.