Honoured Artist of Russia and Tatarstan Aida Garifullina, one of today’s brightest Russian opera stars, will make her debut on the stage of the Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre on 30 October as part of the Hvorostovsky Arts Festival.

Like Dmitri Hvorostovsky, whose international fame began with his victory in Cardiff, Garifullina’s global career was launched after winning Operalia 2013, the prestigious competition founded by Plácido Domingo. Following her triumph, the young Russian soprano singer received an invitation to join the Vienna State Opera. A dazzling vocalist and captivating actress, now recognised among the world’s leading sopranos, she has since graced the stages of the Bolshoi Theatre, La Scala, The Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Paris National Opera, Arena di Verona, and Salzburg Festival, among many others.

In recent years, Garifullina has performed before the Pope at the Vatican, taken part in the Deutsche Grammophon anniversary gala in Beijing, and given solo concerts across Europe, Asia, and America. In 2021, GQ Magazine titled her Woman of the Year in the field of culture.

Her repertoire includes leading roles in Le Nozze di Figaro, Rigoletto, L’Elisir d’Amore, War and Peace, The Snow Maiden, La Bohème, Betrothal in a Monastery, Sadko, Three Sisters, and many others. Her portrayal of Volkhova in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sadko earned her a nomination for the Golden Mask Award.

At her Krasnoyarsk concert, Garifullina will appear in some of her most celebrated roles — Carmen, Tosca, the Queen of Shemakha, Mimì, and Elena. She'll be joined by two outstanding young performers: tenor Ivan Gyngazov (Helikon-Opera) and baritone Semion Antakov (Mikhailovsky Theatre). Together, they will perform duets from Eugene Onegin and La Bohème, concluding the night with a sparkling rendition of the Brindisi from Verdi’s La Traviata — a joyful finale to this celebration of operatic art.