Irina Zhurina

; born 28 August 1946 in Kharkiv, Ukraine) is a Russian operatic coloratura soprano.

Biography

Born in Kharkiv (Ukraine). After studying singing at the Kharkov Art Institute she joined the Kharkov Opera in 1971 where she sang the leading roles in La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto, etc.

Since 1975 she had been a soloist of the opera at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. On this stage she performed the leading opera parts composed for high soprano (lyrical coloratura soprano) such as Antonida (A Life for the Tsar), The Snow Maiden (Snegurochka), The Swan-Princess (The Tale of Tsar Saltan), Marfa ("The Tsar's Bride"), the Queen of Shemakha / Shemakhan Tsaritsa (The Golden Cockerel), Violetta (Verdi's "La traviata"), Rosina ("Il Barbiere di Siviglia").

She had taken part in the Bolshoi Opera tours in Italy (La Scala), Germany, Great Britain, France, Finland, USA, Japan.

Irina Zhurina has still a very active concert life, again and again surprising the audience by the variety of her repertoire. Together with the opera arias she performs russian romances, baroque music and works by contemporary authors, devoted to or especially composed for her.

Zhurina recorded quite a number of CDs both in Russia and in Germany.

She is transmitting her knowledge and experience to the young generation as a teacher of singing.

Recognitions and awards

She was made a People's Artist of Russia by President Eltsin in 1993.

Recorded works

* Judith (Serov), 1991, Andrey Chistyakov (conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra, Russian Academic Choir of the USSR, Irina Udalova (Judith), Yelena Zaremba (Avra), Mikhayil Krutikov (Holofernes), Nikolay Vasilyev (Bagoas), Anatoly Babïkhin (Ozias), Vladimir Kudryachov (Achior), Stanislav Suleimanov (Asfaneses), Pyotr Gluboky (Eliachim), Maksim Mikhaylov (Charmis), Irina Zhurina and Marina Shutova (Odalisques), Lev Kuznetsov (Hindu Song)

* Rimsky-Korsakov Kashchey the Deathless, 1991, Andrey Chistyakov (conductor), Bolshoy Theatre Orchestra, Yurlov Academic Choir, Aleksandr Arkhipov (Kastchey), Irina Zhurina (Tsarevna), Nina Terentyeva (Kashcheyevna), Vladislav Verestnikov (Ivan Korolevich), Vladimir Matorin (Storm-Bogatïr)