"Albina Shagimuratova's show-stealing Queen of the Night is electrifyingly accurate" Tim Ashley for The Guardian

"Brindley Sherratt’s Sarastro is one of the best this production has seen. [...] Likewise with Albina Shagimuratova’s Queen of Night: every note is luminescent, star-bright and perfectly placed in the constellation." Hilary Finch for The Times

"Possessed of a large voice with laser like attack, she cuts a formidable vocal figure. She was also an imposing presence on stage." Sebastian Petit for Opera Britannia

"But the highest accolades go to Albina Shagimuratova as the Queen of the Night [...] she has real presence;  this was an exceptional performance. ‘Der Hölle Rache’ was a revelation combining sumptuousness, subtlety and accuracy in the execution of every note, and demonstrating impeccable phrasing." Sam Smith for Music OMH

"The cast is exceptional:  [...] Albina Shagimuratova’s lightweight but secure Queen of the Night" Simon Thomas for What's on stage

"Albina Shagimuratova, brings a magnificent stridency to that role. She only has two real arias in the opera but both are absolute raging show-stoppers, and Shagimuratova delivers them impeccably. I doubt that I have ever heard such a pure, crystal-shattering tone. With such a cast, McVicar's Flute really is Magic." William Hartston for the Express

"Albina Shagimuratova brought red-blooded force to her precisely-pitched coloratura passages." Mark Valencia for What's on stage

"Albina Shagimuratova, in her (house) debut, was a sparking Queen of the Night. She nailed all the coloratura and was supported by Jones in a rather large way, no small feat. Her second, more famous, aria “Der Hölle Roche” was excellent" Michael Migliore for Musical Criticism

"And in Albina Shagimuratova, the superb Russian soprano who was making her Lyric debut as Gilda, the company has found a shining star indeed. She walked away with the show.

Gilda is, of course, one of the great coloratura soprano roles in Italian opera, and Shagimuratova fulfilled its every requirement thrillingly. She traced the florid phrases of "Caro nome" with meltingly expressive phrasing, ample colorings and a clear, shining, beautiful sound that carried easily over the orchestra. Where full-bodied lyricism was needed, notably in Gilda's two duets with her father, her singing went straight to the heart.

Indeed, Gilda's dying fade to a hushed pianissimo held the audience at rapt attention at the very end. Not for nothing did the soprano receive a rapturous standing ovation on opening night. Get used to the name; you can be sure Lyric will be inviting her back."

John von Rhein for Chicago Tribune

"Russian soprano Albina Shagimuratova, was utterly luminous as Rigoletto’s innocent, teenage daughter, Gilda. [...] A young soprano whose career is taking her to the major American and European operas houses, Shagimuratova was a thrilling Gilda. Her soprano is clear and pure, and in the dulcet aria “Caro nome,” her phrases blossomed and melted away like gentle caresses. She was every inch the innocent girl basking in the glow of her first real romance."

Wynne Delacoma for Chicago Sun Times

"We were fortunate to have so vocally accomplished a Gilda as Shagimuratova. ... Gifted with a voice of tremendous size and power, she exhibited considerable control of it, at times tapering to a lovely pianissimo that drew me forward in my chair to hear the secure, pretty tone."

Jeffery S McMillan for Bachtrack,September 2012

"But Shagimuratova, who sang a remarkable Queen of the Night in "The Magic Flute" earlier this year, was my favorite. She projects spectacularly, as few singers can. Her bright, rich voice filled the huge War Memorial in a seemingly effortless performance; she even sang her big, challenging aria "Caro nome" reclining on her back. "When you've got it, flaunt it," said the gesture."

Janos Gereben for San Francisco Examiner, September 2012

"Saturday's Gilda, Russian soprano Albina Shagimuratova, took a more traditional approach, delivering the score's coloratura flights with spotless precision and lustrous tonal beauty."

Joshua Kosman for San francisco Gate, September 2012

“The audience favorite, though, was Russian soprano Albina Shagimuratova, in a bravura company debut as the Queen of the Night. She did well in her Act 1 aria, then brought down the house with a dazzling, pinpoint delivery of the Act 2 showpiece.”

Joshua Kosman for San Francisco Chronicle, June 2012

“Shagimuratova is simply breathtaking. Forceful and vehement in her lower range, she is remarkably, strong, focused, and spot on as she ascends to a high F above high C. She may not sound vengeful in the stratosphere, but she produces the Queen’s highest notes with a round, glowing brilliance you will be lucky to experience again in your lifetime. You absolutely must hear her."

Jason Victor Serinus for San Francisco Classical Voice, June 2012

"Coming up through the ranks of HGO's studio program, soprano Albina Shagimuratova, like mezzo Joyce DiDonato, is a success story and house favorite. A natural coloratura, she can blaze through signature roles like Mozart's treacherously thrilling Queen of the Night in Magic Flute or early Verdi's warbler Gilda in Rigoletto. She can toss off high Fs with flawless technique, silkily maneuvering through rollercoaster roulades as if skiing blindfolded. There's no denying the beauty of her voice"

D.L. Grooverfor Houston Press, February 2012

"Friday night at Houston Grand Opera the unforgettable voice belonged to Russian soprano Albina Shagimuratova as Violetta Valéry. Program notes describe her as “today’s reigning Queen of the Night” in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. She certainly reigned on the Wortham stage, Mozart or not, winning a heady standing ovation at the curtain call. If you saw her last year in HGO’s Lucia di Lammermoor, you know the experience. Shagimuratova’s Verdi, however, is just as thrilling as her Donizetti, perhaps even more.Shagimuratova changes voice and character as necessary to the action unfolding in each act, from a party gal at the beginning to a vulnerable wisp of half-dead beauty at the end."

Theodore Bale for Houston Culture Map, February 2012