Gulnara Shafigullina

Soprano

– General Management – 

The Russian-Dutch lyric soprano Gulnara Shafigullina has a warm, high lyric soprano with a wide dynamic range, a rare, beautiful floating piano and a great musicality. She made her opera debut in 2014 with Volkstheater Rostock in Germany as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, then the title role in Rossini’s Ermione and Anna in Rossini’s Maometto Secondo. Her versatile, full and warm voice allows for a very diverse repertoire. A selection of these: Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata with Mariinsky Theater St. Petersburg in the production of Claudia Solti and with Scottisch opera in the production of David McVicar conducted by David Parry, the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with Scottish Opera, Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello with Ópera de Colombia in the production of Willy Decker conducted by Hilary Griffiths. Gulnara also covered the role of Yaroslavna in Borodin’s Prince Igor at the Metropolitan Opera New York, in the production of Dmitri Tcherniakov conducted by Pavel Smilkov. At the Mariinsky Theater St. Petersburg, Gulnara has sung the lead in several opera productions, including Magda in Puccini’s “La Rondine,” Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Vitellia in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, Melia in Mozart’s Apollo et Hyacinthus, and Aminta in Mozart’s Il re pastore.
Some highlights from Gulnara’s concert performances in the Netherlands are the soprano solo in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (De Doelen Rotterdam, Sinfonia Rotterdam conducted by Conrad van Alphen), Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen (de Doelen, Rotterdam conducted by Ago Verdonschot), the title role in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena (Concertgebouw aan het IJ, Amsterdam conducted by Ago Verdonschot), the title role in Verdi’s Giovanna D’Arco (TivoliVredenburg Utrecht conducted by Ardjoena Soerjadi).
Gulnara has also performed at various festivals such as Newbury Festival London Philharmonia Orchestra, Grachtenfestival, Peter de Grote Festival, Opera aan Zee Festival, Olympus Festival and Diaghilev Festival (St-Petersburg).
Gulnara Shafigullina won several international singing competitions:
* International N. Rimsky-Korsakov Opera Competition (Saint Peterburg, 1st opera prize)
* International Pavel Lisitsian Vocal Competition (Vladikavkaz, 1st opera prize)
* International Vocal Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch (The Netherlands, 1st opera prize)
* International Montserrat Caballé Vocal Competition (Zaragoza, 2nd prize)
* International Music Competition ‘Hopes, talents, masters’ (Bulgaria, 1st prize)
Gulnara Shafigullina completed classical piano and choreography training at the music academy in Chukotka (northeast Russia). She continued her training as a pianist in St. Petersburg at the Rimsky-Korsakov Music Academy and graduated there in 2006. She then studied classical piano at the St. Petersburg Conservatory until 2009. From 2003 to 2009 she also studied classical singing in the music academy with the former first soprano of the Mariinsky Theater Rimma Volkova. In 2013, Gulnara graduated cum laude from the Conservatory of Amsterdam, with Sasja Hunnego as singing teacher. Gulnara was also trained at the Georg Solti summer Accademia di Bel Canto, Italy under the guide of  Jonathan Papp, Angela Gheorghiu, Denniso’Neill  and Richard Bonynge and she is taking masterclasses of the great belcanto singer Nelly Miricioiu.