ABOUT
Maria Guleghina is among the world's most celebrated dramatic sopranos, acclaimed with standing ovations in major opera houses. She is particularly renowned for her portrayals of the title roles in Tosca and Turandot. Her repertoire also includes the title roles in Aida, Manon Lescaut, Norma, Fedora, Adriana Lecouvreur, as well as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Abigaille in Nabucco, Leonora in Il trovatore, Elvira in Ernani, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Amelia in Un ballo in maschera, Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Maddalena in Andrea Chenier, Lisa in La dama di picche, and Odabella in Attila.
Maria Guleghina is today the most important soprano drammatico d’agilita of her generation.
Enrico Stinchelli
"Greatest Stars of the Opera"
Maria Guleghina commenced her professional career at the State Opera of Minsk, making her debut a year later at Teatro alla Scala as Amelia in Un ballo in maschera under the direction of Gianandrea Gavazzeni, alongside Luciano Pavarotti. She performed in 15 new productions at La Scala, including several season premieres with Riccardo Muti.
Since her 1991 debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Maddalena in a new production of Andrea Chenier, she has graced the stage over 150 times. In 1991, she also debuted at the Vienna State Opera in Andrea Chenier. Prior to her stage debut in 1995 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where she played the title role in Fedora alongside Placido Domingo, she had already achieved success with both audiences and critics in a concert version of Ernani at the Barbican with the Royal Opera House company. In 1996, she made her debut at the Arena di Verona as Abigaille in Nabucco, receiving the "Premio Giovanni Zanatello" for her sensational debut. In 1997, Maria Guleghina debuted at the Opera de Paris in the title role of Tosca and has since been seen in various productions, including Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Abigaille in Nabucco, and Odabella in Attila.
As big Verdi sopranos go today, Guleghina is the tops. She’s the reigning diva.
Andew Porter
Times Literary Suplement
Maria Guleghina has presented solo recitals worldwide, including performances at Teatro alla Scala, Gran Teatre del Liceu, San Paolo, Wigmore Hall, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Mariinsky Theatre in Osaka, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Rome, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Bellas Artes Theatre in Mexico City, and Moscow, to name a few.
Mrs. Guleghina has been honored with numerous awards, including the Puccini Prize for best Puccini interpreter, the 2001 Bellini Prize, the Giovanni Zanatello Prize for her debut at the Arena di Verona, the Maria Zamboni Gold Medal, the Gold Medal at the 1999 Osaka Festival, the Art and Operosity in the World of Milan award, among others.
For her social commitment, she has been bestowed with the Order of Saint Olga, the highest honor of the Russian Orthodox Church, by Patriarch Alexius of Russia. Mrs. Guleghina is an honorary member of the International Paralympic Committee and a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.
Her most recent success is the Tosca tour in Japan with the Teatro Comunale di Bologna in the fall of 2023.