The celebrated on all opera stages Maria Guleghina will be guest-performer in the opera “Parsifal” on 30 January and 1 February at the Sofia Opera and Ballet. She will perform the role of Kundry of the genial German composer Richard Wagner. The singer is recipient of the Orden of Holy Olga, the Highest Orden of the Russian Orthodox Church, handed ot to her personally by Patriarch Alexis of Russia.

Maria Guleghina is the world’s leading dramatic soprano. Her performances are invariably rewarded with standing ovations throughout the world’s foremost opera houses. She has been described as the “Cinderella from Russia”, “Russian soprano with Verdi flowing through her veins” and “Vocal Miracle”. She is particularly noted for her interpretation of the title role in Tosca and Turandot. Her repertoire also includes the title role in “Aida”, “Manon Lescaut”, “Norma”, “Fedora”, “Adriana Lecouvreur”, as well as Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”, Abigaille in “Nabucco”, Violetta in “La traviata”, Leonora in “Il trovatore”, “Oberto” and “La forza del destino”, Elvira in “Ernani”, Elisabetta in “Don Carlo”, Amelia in “Simon Boccanegra”, and “Un ballo in maschera”, Lucrezia in “I due Foscari”, Desdemona in “Otello”, Santuzza in “Cavalleria rusticana”, Maddalena in “Andrea Chénier”, Lisa in “Pique Dame”, Odabella in “Attila”, Gulnara in “Il corsaro”, etc.

Maria Guleghina began her professional career at the State Opera in Minsk, and a year later made her debut in La Scala as Amelia in “Un ballo in Maschera” under Maestro Gavazzeni opposite Luciano Pavarotti. Her voice of great power, warmth, thrust and with immense acting ability made her a permanent and welcome guest everywhere.

At La Scala she has performed in 15 new productions including Lucrezia in “I due Foscari”, Tosca, Fedora, Turandot, Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”, Lisa in “Pique Dame”, Manon Lescaut, Abigaille in “Nabucco”, Leonora in “La forza del destino” conducted by Riccardo Muti in Tokyo. She has accompanied La Scala on two tours to Japan in 1991 and 1999. She also performed two solo recitals at this legendary theatre.

Since her 1991 debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Maddalena in a new production of “Andrea Chénier” opposite Luciano Pavarotti, she has performed there over 150 times as Tosca, Aida, Norma, Adriana Lecouvreur, Turandot, Santuzza in “Cavalleria Rusticana”, Abigaille in “Nabucco”, Lisa in “Pique Dame”, Dolly in “Sly”, Giorgetta in “Il tabarro” and Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”.

In 1991 she made her Vienna State Opera debut in “Andrea Chénier” and has returned to perform Lisa in “Pique Dame”, Tosca, Aida, Elvira in “Ernani”, Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”, Leonora in “Il trovatore” and Abigaille in “Nabucco”.

Before her 1995 stage debut in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where she performed the title role in Fedora opposite Placido Domingo, she had already performed in a critically acclaimed concert performance of “Ernani” at the Barbican with the Royal Opera House company. This was followed by a highly successful recital at the Wigmore Hall. Her other appearances at Covent Garden include Tosca, concert performances of “Andrea Chénier”, Odabella in “Attila” and Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”.

In 1996 Maria Guleghina’s debut in Arena di Verona was as Abigaille in “Nabucco”, where she was awarded the “Prize of Giovanni Zanatello” for a sensational debut performer. She has since performed there on numerous occasions.

In 1997 Maria Guleghina made her Paris Opera debut with the title role in Tosca and has since been seen in this theatre as Lady Macbeth in “Macbeth”, Abigaille in “Nabucco” and Odabella in “Attila”.

Maria Guleghina has performed solo recitals all over the world including appearances at La Scala, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Lille, Sao Paolo, Wigmore Hall, Suntory Hall, Mariinsky Theatre, Osaka, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Rome, Teatro Colon, Teatro Bellas Artes and Moscow to name a few.

Many of the productions in which she has appeared have been broadcast on the radio as well as televised. They include “Tosca”, “Pique Dame”, “Andrea Chénier”, “Sly”, “Nabucco”, “Cavalleria Rusticana”, “Il tabarro”, “Norma”, “Turandot” and “Macbeth” from the Metropolitan Opera; “Tosca”, “Manon Lescaut” and “Un ballo in Maschera” from La Scala; “Attila” from Paris Opera, “Nabucco” from the Vienna State Opera and solo recitals from Japan, Barcelona, Moscow, Berlin and Leipzig.

She has numerously performed with the world’s leading singers, including Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Leo Nucci, Renato Bruson, José Cura and Samuel Ramey and conductors: Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev, Fabio Luisi and Claudio Abbado.

Maria Guleghina is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards including Puccini Prize as Best Puccini Performer, 2001 Bellini Prize, Giovanni Zanatello Prize for her debut at the Arena di Verona, Maria Zamboni gold medal, 1999 gold medal at the Osaka Festival, the Arte e Operosita nel mondo prize from Milan, etc.

Guleghina is the honorary board member to the International Paralympic Committee as well as a Goodwill Ambassador to Unicef. She has been bestowed the Title of “People’s Artist” of North Ossetia and Alania.