# Aida Garifullina (Аида Эмилевна Гарифуллина)
**Aida Garifullina** (Аида Эмилевна Гарифуллина; born 1987) is a Russian lyric soprano from Kazan, Tatarstan, who rose from the [Vienna State Opera](https://www.edgepedia.org/vienna-state-opera) ensemble to a career as a guest soloist at leading houses including the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, the [Paris Opera](https://www.edgepedia.org/paris-opera), the [Royal Opera House](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-opera-house), Covent Garden, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987, Kazan, Tatarstan, in a Tatar family[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina) • [2](https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/aida-garifullina) |
| Training | Nuremberg University of Music (Siegfried Jerusalem's class, from 2005), then the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Claudia Visca's class, from 2007)[3](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/aida-garifullina) • [4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/) |
| Breakthrough | First prize at the Operalia competition in Verona, 2013; Mariinsky debut the same year as Susanna[2](https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/aida-garifullina) • [4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/) |
| Vienna State Opera | Ensemble member 2013–2016[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina) |
| Recording | Debut album on Decca Classics (2017), awarded an ECHO Klassik; Grammy nomination for The Golden Cockerel[3](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/aida-garifullina) |
| Screen | Lily Pons in Stephen Frears's film Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), opposite Meryl Streep[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina) |
| Honors | Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan (2013) and of the Russian Federation (2020)[4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/) |
## Origins and education
Garifullina was born in Kazan, the capital of [Tatarstan](https://www.edgepedia.org/tatarstan) in the Russian Federation, and her first music lessons came from her mother, Layla Garifullina, a choral conductor and Honoured Art Worker of the Republic of Tatarstan.[2](https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/aida-garifullina) • [5](https://www.philharmonia.spb.ru/persons/biography/525890/) Her first public performance came at age 5 in a televised children's competition in Moscow, and at 11 she was accepted for singing lessons at the Kazan State Conservatoire.[2](https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/aida-garifullina)
**Training abroad.** In 2005 she entered the music school in [Nuremberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/nuremberg), studying in the class of the tenor Siegfried Jerusalem, and in 2007 she continued at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Claudia Visca's class.[3](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/aida-garifullina) • [4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
## Breakthrough: Operalia and the Mariinsky
The turning point of her career came in 2013, when she won first prize at Operalia, the international opera singers' competition founded by [Plácido Domingo](https://www.edgepedia.org/placido-domingo), held that year in Verona.[4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/) • [2](https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/aida-garifullina) That year she also made her [Mariinsky Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/mariinsky-theatre) debut as Susanna in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro; her roles at the Mariinsky later included Gilda in [Rigoletto](https://www.edgepedia.org/rigoletto), Adina in L'elisir d'amore, the Shemakha Queen in The Golden Cockerel, and Natasha Rostova in Graham Vick's staging of Prokofiev's War and Peace, which was broadcast to cinemas in Europe.[4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
## Vienna State Opera and international career
In 2013 Garifullina joined the Vienna State Opera, remaining a member of its ensemble through 2016.[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina) Her Vienna roles included Musetta in [La bohème](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-boheme), Susanna, Elvira in L'italiana in Algeri, Adina, Zerlina in [Don Giovanni](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-giovanni), and Norina in [Don Pasquale](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-pasquale).[4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
**Guest engagements.** After leaving the Vienna ensemble she became a regular guest at major houses. Her 2018/19 season brought debuts at the [Berlin State Opera](https://www.edgepedia.org/berlin-state-opera) in Prokofiev's Betrothal in a [Monastery](https://www.edgepedia.org/monastery) under [Daniel Barenboim](https://www.edgepedia.org/daniel-barenboim) and as Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera, as well as her first Salzburg Festival appearance beside Plácido Domingo in Les pêcheurs de perles.[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina) In 2020 she made her Bolshoi Theatre debut as Volkhova in Rimsky-Korsakov's Sadko, a performance nominated for a Golden Mask award.[4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/) In 2025 she made her debut as Tatiana in Eugene Onegin at La Scala in Milan.[3](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/aida-garifullina) Her 2024/25 engagements included Roméo et Juliette in Berlin and Vienna, and her 2025/26 season includes La traviata at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and the Paris Opera.[6](https://www.rbo.org.uk/people/aida-garifullina) • [7](https://www.staatskapelle-berlin.de/de/kuenstler/aida-garifullina.1925/)
She has sung under conductors including [Valery Gergiev](https://www.edgepedia.org/valery-gergiev), Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, Plácido Domingo, Gustavo Dudamel, Antonio Pappano, and Daniel Barenboim.[4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/) • [3](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/aida-garifullina)
## Concerts, film, and recordings
**Large-scale events.** Career highlights beyond the opera stage include live broadcast performances at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and at the Concert de Paris on Bastille Day.[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina) She has also appeared at the BBC Proms in London, performed in the Vatican's annual Christmas charity concert with an audience with the Pope, and sung at Deutsche Grammophon's 120th-anniversary celebrations in Shanghai and the Forbidden City.[5](https://www.philharmonia.spb.ru/persons/biography/525890/) • [4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
**Film.** In Stephen Frears's 2016 feature film Florence Foster Jenkins, Garifullina portrayed the soprano Lily Pons, appearing alongside Meryl Streep; she sang the Bell Song from Delibes's Lakmé in the role.[1](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina) • [8](https://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/17_febbraio_18/sono-bella-ma-palco-faccio-serio-c7ba5872-f6c4-11e6-92e0-c5629d7a7635.shtml)
**Recordings.** She is an exclusive Decca Classics artist. Her self-titled debut album, released globally in February 2017 and pairing mostly Russian songs and arias with two French arias, won an ECHO Klassik award, and a 2018 follow-up, Midnight in Moscow, collected songs by Pakhmutova and Krutoy.[2](https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/aida-garifullina) • [9](https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2017/Apr/printable-Tu.pdf) • [4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/) Her recording of The Golden Cockerel brought a Grammy Award nomination for Best Opera Recording.[3](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/aida-garifullina) • [4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
## Repertoire and distinctions
Garifullina's repertoire centers on lyric and coloratura roles: Susanna, Zerlina, Pamina, Adina, Norina, Gilda, Musetta, Mimì, Juliette, Sophie in Werther, Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles, and the Snow Maiden, alongside Russian roles such as Natasha Rostova, the Shemakha Queen, and Xenia in Boris Godunov.[6](https://www.rbo.org.uk/people/aida-garifullina) • [4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
She holds the titles Honoured Artist of the Republic of Tatarstan (2013) and Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation (2020).[4](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
## References
1. [Aida Garifullina, Salzburg Festival biography](https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/en/a/aida-garifullina)
2. [Aida Garifullina, Decca Classics artist page](https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/artists/aida-garifullina)
3. [Aida Garifullina, Opéra national de Paris artist page](https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/aida-garifullina)
4. [Аида Гарифуллина, НОВАТ (Новосибирский театр оперы и балета) биография](https://novat.ru/theatre/company/guest_principals_opera/garifullina/)
5. [Аида Гарифуллина, Санкт-Петербургская академическая филармония](https://www.philharmonia.spb.ru/persons/biography/525890/)
6. [Aida Garifullina, Royal Ballet and Opera biography](https://www.rbo.org.uk/people/aida-garifullina)
7. [Aida Garifullina, Staatskapelle Berlin](https://www.staatskapelle-berlin.de/de/kuenstler/aida-garifullina.1925/)
8. [Il soprano Aida Garifullina: «Sono bella, ma sul palco faccio sul serio», Corriere della Sera](https://www.corriere.it/spettacoli/17_febbraio_18/sono-bella-ma-palco-faccio-serio-c7ba5872-f6c4-11e6-92e0-c5629d7a7635.shtml)
9. [Aida Garifullina (soprano), MusicWeb International review of the Decca debut album](https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2017/Apr/printable-Tu.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Opera and classical vocal soloists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license