Elena Manistina

Not only the winner of first prize in the 2002 Operalia Competition but also a finalist of the 2003 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, Russian mezzo-soprano Elena Manistina is well on her way to having a major career.

She has sung 'Jewish Folk Songs' with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by MTT, where she ..."proved a dynamo, singing with huge reserves of power and a wealth of tonal agility", and more recently she sang the mezzo solo in 'Alexander Nevsky' with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and 'Un Ballo in Maschera' Opera du Rhin in Strasbourg and also at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, where she will return for Amneris in 'Aida'.

Recent engagements also include 'Kashei the Immortal' at the BBC Proms conducted by Vladimir Jurovsky, 'Mazeppa' at Opera Ireland and also at the Deutsch Oper Berlin and Mahler's 8th Symphony with the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Her career will next see her as Ulrica in 'Un ballo in maschera'at the Washington Opera, Oviedo Opera, Covent Garden and the Bastille in Paris, Azucena in 'Trovatore' at the Liceu in Barcelona and at the Bordeaux Opera, Amneris in 'Aida' at the Opera du Avignon, Tigrana in 'Edgar' at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, 'Rake's progress' at the Glyndebourne Festival, 'Mazeppa' with the Monte Carlo Opera, 'Il Trovatore' at Opera Ireland. She will also be singing 'Les Noces' at the BBC Proms with Edward Gardner and the London Sinfonietta and 'Alexander Nevsky' at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari.