Irina Dolzhenko

Honored actress of Russia

Artistic director of opera troupe

Birthday – on October 23

She was born in Tashkent. In 1983 upon termination of the Tashkent state conservatory (teacher R. Yusupova) she was invited to Moscow, in troupe of the Moscow state academic children's musical theatre named after N. I. Sats. She participated in performances of the Moscow academic musical theater named after K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko.

She trained in Italy at Miyetty Siegel and Giorgio Luketti (performance at the International competition of vocalists "Belvedere" brought the prize – training in Rome) and in France at Rezhin Krespen. She passed training on acting skills in University of Albany in New York.

In 1995 she debuted in the Bolshoi theatre in Cherubino's party. Since 1996 – the soloist of opera troupe of the Bolshoi theatre.
In repertoire of the singer in the Bolshoi theatre about thirty parties, among which – Cherubino ("Figaro's Wedding" of W. A. Mozart), Amneris (J. Verdi's "Aida"), Laura (P. Tchaikovsky's "Iolanthe"), Azuchena ("Troubadour" J. Verdi), the Boyar Morozova (P. Tchaikovsky's "Guardsman"), Lel, Spring (N. Rimsky-Korsakov's "Snow Maiden"), Marina Mnishek ("Boris Godunov" of M. Mussorgsky), Olga ("Eugene Onegin" of P. Tchaikovsky), Lyubasha ("The imperial bride" of N. Rimsky-Korsakov), Marfa ("Hovanshchina" M. Mussorgsky), Suzuki ("Madame Butterfly" of J. Puccini), Polina, Milovzor ("Queen of spades" of P. Tchaikovsky), Carmen (Zh. Bizet's "Carmen"), Margret (A. Berg's "Vozzek"), etc.
She became the first performer in the Bolshoi theatre of party of Pretsiozilla in the opera J. Verdi of "Power of fortune" (2001, staging of the Neapolitan theatre of San Carlo – the conductor-director Alexander Vilyumanis, the director Carlo Maestrini, the art director Antonio Mastromattei, Pierre-Francesco Maestrini's renewal) and parties of the Princess Buyonskaya in "Adriyenne Lekuvrer" F. Cilea (2002, staging of Milan theatre La Scala, the conductor-director Alexander Vedernikov, the production director Lamberto Pugielli, the set designer Paolo Bregni).

In April, 2003, having performed Naina's part on the premiere of the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila" of M. Glinka, she took part in unique, based on the principles of authentic performance, the musical and scenic project of the Bolshoi theatre for which the original author's text of the score of this opera (conductor-director Alexander Vedernikov) was specially restored. "Live" record of premier performances was carried out by the Dutch firm PentaTone and came to three CDs in 2004.

In repertoire of the singer also parties of mezzo-soprano in W.A. Mozart's Requiem, J. Verdi's Requiem, "Stabat Mater" of A. Dvorak, J. Pergolesi, A. Vivaldi, A. Vivaldi's "Gloria", "Faust's Condemnation" G. Berlioz, the cantata "After Reading of Psalm" and the First symphony of S. Taneev, the cantata "Alexander Nevsky" of S. Prokofiev and the cantata "Moscow" of P. Tchaikovsky, the Ninth symphony Beethoven, the Second symphony of Mahler and other compositions.

She sang in the Vienna chamber opera, the Swedish Royal opera (Stockholm), the German opera (Berlin), at theatre Colon (Buenos Aires) where in party Amneris, the New Israeli opera in Tel Aviv (including for the opening), at Opera theatre of Cagliari (Italy, 2003, Morozova's party in the opera "Guardsman" of P. Tchaikovsky; 2005, party of Meropy in "Oedipus" J. Enesco), the Opera of Bordeaux (France, 2003, party Aloetic in the opera "Imperial Bride" of N. Rimsky-Korsakov), Châtelet theatre (France, 2003, Laura's party in P. Tchaikovsky's "Iolanthe"), in the Opera the Bastille (France, 2005, Matryosha's party in "War and peace" of S. Prokofiev) and other opera theatres.

Often acts in Baltic. In Carmen's party she debuted in Tallinn on the scene of the National opera "Estonia". Since 1999 cooperates with the Latvian national opera, in particular, Amneris in "Aida" and Ulrika in the opera "Masquerade" of J. Verdi sang. She participated in musical festival in Trakaye (Lithuania) – she sang Ulrika in festival statement of the opera "Masquerade", in Sigulda and Jürmala acted with solo concerts.

She acted with concerts in Japan, Korea, Australia, the USA, Europe.
Repeatedly she participated in musical festivals – in Shennbruna (Austria), Savonlinne (Finland), the Mozart festival in France, in the Jerusalem festival, in the Ueksfordsky festival (Ireland) and others. In 2004 in to Arnima (Netherlands) at the festival devoted to Igor Stravinsky she took part in concert performance of the opera of "Moor".

She acted with outstanding conductors – Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Valery Gergiev, Mikhail Pletnev, Vladimir Yurovsky.

Since September 1, 2013 – the artistic director of opera troupe of the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre.

About Irina Dolzhenko's creativity the video movie "Stars is taken a close-up. Irina Dolzhenko" (2002, "Arts Mediatsentr", director N. Tikhonov).