Aida Garifullina

Aida Garifullina (born 30 September 1987) is a Russian operatic soprano of Tatar origin. She was the winner of the 2013 Operalia competition 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.

Early career

Garifullina was born in 1987 in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Her mother, Lyalya Garifullina (a choir conductor) 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 Nuernberg to study music.

In 2007, she joined the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts under 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 Safina in Kazan.

In 2012, Garifullina sang at the opening of the Russian House at the XXX Summer Olympics in London. In London she became acquainted with Valery Gergiev, the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre in 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 ("The Love Potion").

In July, as the Ambassador of the Universiade, she sang at the opening Ceremony of Summer Universiade 2013 in 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 Operalia 2013. At the contest, there were arias of Nanetta ("Falstaff"), Snow Maiden (the “Snow Maiden”), Susanna ("Le nozze di Figaro"), Juliet ("Montagues and Capulets" Bellini). 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 Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Dmitry Hvorostovsky. In 2014 she performed at the Rosenblatt Recitals held 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 Pons and performed "The Bell Song" from Delibes' opera Lakme in a downward-transposed key in the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins.

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

• Chaliapin "Voice of the Year" in the nomination of "Academic vocal" (2001).
• Laureate of the Muslim Magomaev’s First International Competition of Vocalists (2010).
• First prize at the International Competition of Opera Singers of Placido Domingo Operalia-2013.
• Honored Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan (2013).
• Commendation Certificate of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan (2013).