Irina Gagite

Opera Singer

Biography

Irina Gagite was born in Magadan, in the Russian Far East. Her musical journey began at an early age, showing exceptional talent that would later define her career.

She completed her initial musical education at a specialized music school with a focus on choral conducting, where she developed a strong foundation in musical theory and performance. Seeking to further refine her extraordinary vocal abilities, Irina continued her professional education at the prestigious St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, studying opera vocal under the guidance of renowned Professor T.D. Novichenko.

During her conservatory years, Irina's remarkable talent quickly distinguished her among her peers, leading to her participation in numerous vocal competitions where she consistently earned recognition and accolades.

Her exceptional vocal range, technical precision, and emotional expressiveness became the hallmarks of her performance style, qualities that would later captivate audiences across Europe and beyond. Even before completing her formal education, Irina had already begun to establish herself as a promising new voice in the opera world.

Awards & Achievements

June 1995 - Gartow Stiftung Award

October 1995 - Laureate of the 7th International Mario del Monaco Vocalists Competition (Italy)

1996 - Laureate of the II International Competition of Young Opera Singers named after N.K. Pechkovsky (St. Petersburg)

April 1996 - Laureate of the XXI International Competition of Young Opera Vocalists named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov (St. Petersburg)

1997 - Laureate of the I All-Russian Television Competition of Irina Arkhipova "Grand Prix Moscow"; participated in the music program "Musical Ring"

Laureate of the I Prize of the I International Competition of Young Musicians and holder of a gold medal "To the 125th anniversary of S.L. Diaghilev and the 150th anniversary of the Diaghilev House"

2000 - "Golden Soffit" award for the best role of Lucia ("Lucia di Lammermoor") and Donna Anna ("Don Giovanni")

Career

In October 1996, Irina debuted at the Mariinsky Theater in the role of the Queen of the Night (Mozart's "The Magic Flute"). From October 1996 to January 2002, she worked as a soloist at the Mariinsky Theater, performing roles such as: Susanna ("The Marriage of Figaro"), Donna Anna ("Don Giovanni", Baden-Baden), Amina ("La Sonnambula"), Lucia ("Lucia di Lammermoor"), Violetta ("La Traviata", Baden-Baden), Lyudmila ("Ruslan and Lyudmila"), Ninetta ("The Love for Three Oranges"), Marfa ("The Tsar's Bride"), Volkhova ("Sadko"), Nightingale ("The Nightingale"), Mimi ("La Bohème"), Liu ("Turandot"), Elisabeth ("Don Carlos", Covent Garden), Leonora ("La forza del destino") and others.

She toured with the Mariinsky Theater throughout America and Europe, participating in many international festivals. In 2001, she was nominated for the "Golden Mask" award for the role of Donna Anna ("Don Giovanni").

In 2002, she completed an internship at La Scala Theater, where she performed the role of Leonora in Verdi's opera "Oberto".

From 2004 to 2010, she performed leading roles: Lisa ("The Queen of Spades"), Aida ("Aida"), Abigaille ("Nabucco"), Leonora ("Il Trovatore"), Norma ("Norma"), Lucia ("Lucia di Lammermoor") in Holland.

She has taken masterclasses with masters such as Hefliger (Zurich, 1995), Leyla Gencer (Milan, 2002), Renata Scotto (Rome, 2009) and others.

She has worked with directors: Johannes Schaaf, Jeanette Aster, Ian Judge, Philippe Arlo, Kerstin Maria Pöhler and others.

She has worked with renowned conductors: Valery Gergiev, Justus Franz, Gianandrea Nazeda, Marco Boemi, Markus Biringer and others.