Aida Garifullina Aida Garifullina

Aida Garifullina(Russian: Аида Гарифуллина) (born 30 September 1987) is a Russian operatic soprano. She was the winner of the 2013 Operaliacompetition and has featured in a number of productions staged at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg and the Wiener Staatsoper. She has a recording contract with Decca Records.

Biography and musical career

Early career

Garifullina was born in 1987 in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Her father is Emil Garifullin, and her mother is Layla Ildarovna Garifullina (a choir conductor) who is currently the Director of the Centre of Contemporary Music n.a. Sofia Gubaidulina.From early childhood her mother influenced her musical development and was instrumental in the development of her career.At the age of 18, she moved to Nurembergto study music.

In 2007, she joined the Vienna University of Music and Performing Artsunder the tuition of Claudia Visca. Two years later Garifullina made her debut as Despina in the University production of Mozart's "Così fan tutte".In 2010, she won the Muslim Magomayev’s competition of singers in Moscow.After graduating in 2011, she performed during the closing ceremony of the XXVI Summer Universiadein Shenzhen,and sang a duet with Alessandro Safinain Kazan.

In 2012, Garifullina sang at the opening of the Russian House at the XXX Summer Olympicsin London.In London she became acquainted with Valery Gergiev, the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatrein St. Petersburg.In January 2013 she made her debut on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in the role of Susanna in the Opera Buffa of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.She later added to her repertoire the roles of Gilda (Rigoletto) and Adina (L'elisir d'amore).

In July, as the Ambassador of the Universiade, she sang at the opening Ceremony of Summer Universiade 2013in Kazan.She also performed at the closing ceremony of "Cultural Universiade" with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev.

Operalia 2013 and subsequent career

Garifullina's career received a significant boost when she won first prize in Operalia2013.At the contest, there were arias of Nanetta (Falstaff), Snow Maiden (The Snow Maiden), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), and Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi).In October she was awarded the title "Honored Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan" and a Commendation Certificate of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

During 2013 and 2014 she was featured in a number of prominent performances, alongside the likes of José Carreras, Plácido Domingoand Dmitry Hvorostovsky.In 2014 she performed at the Rosenblatt Recitalsheld at the Wigmore Hall, London.2015 saw her sign a recording contract with Decca Records.

Since the beginning of the 2014/2015 season, she is an ensemble member of the Vienna State Opera.She portrayed the French-American soprano star Lily Ponsand performed "The Bell Song" from Delibes'opera Lakméin a downward-transposed key in the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins.In February 2017 she released a self-titled album on Decca, which contains 15 arias recorded with the ORF Radio-Symphony Orchestra directed by Cornelius Meister.

On 13 June 2018, Garifullina performed at the 2018 FIFA World Cupopening gala concert held at the Red Squarein Moscow, She performed with Anna Netrebko, Juan Diego Florezand Placido Domingoand the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestraconduced by Valery Gergiev. On 14 June, Garifullina performed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremonyheld at the Luzhniki Stadiumin Moscow.She performed a duet of “Angels” with English pop singer Robbie Williams.

Repertoire

• G. Donizetti — Don Pasquale, Norina
• G. Donizetti — L'elisir d'amore, Adina
• P. Eötvös — Tri Sestri, Irina
• F. Halévy — La Juive, Princess Eudoxie
• W. A. Mozart — Così fan tutte, Despina
• W. A. Mozart — Don Giovanni, Zerlina
• W. A. Mozart — Le nozze di Figaro, Susanna
• W. A. Mozart — Die Zauberflöte, Pamina
• S. S. Prokofiev — War and Peace, Natasha Rostova
• G. Puccini — La bohème, Musetta
• N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov — The Golden Cockerel, Queen of Shemakha
• G. Rossini — L'italiana in Algeri, Elvira
• G. Verdi — Un ballo in maschera, Oscar
• G. Verdi — Falstaff, Nannetta
• G. Verdi — Rigoletto, Gilda