Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva has quickly become one of the most sought-after lyric coloratura sopranos in Europe. Having studied at the St Petersburg Conservatoire and on the young artist programme at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, she now performs regularly at prestigious opera houses and venues across Europe and the USA.
In the 2021-22 season she sings the title role Lucia di Lammermoor for Staatsoper Hamburg, The Queen of Shemakha The Golden Cockerel at Adelaide Festival, and Violetta La traviata at Teatro Mario del Monaco, Treviso and Teatro Verdi, Padova.
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Queen of Shemakha, The Golden Cockerel
Adelaide Festival, March 2022
The Queen of Shemaka, performed here by Venera Gimadieva, is both the embodiment of this lure and the cause of the Tsar’s ultimate emasculation. Resplendent in a stunning peacock feather headdress by costume designer Victoria Behr, Gimadieva delivers a sublime rendition of Hymn to the Sun. [...] Gimadieva handles the chromatic scale of Rimsky-Korsakov’s music perfectly.
Jansson J. Antmann, Limelight, March 2022 *****
The principal cast, Pavlo Hunka (Tsar Dodon), Venera Gimadieva (Queen of Chemakha), Andrei Popov (Astrologer), Samuel Dandas (Tsarevich Aphron), Nicholas Jones (Tsarevich Gvidon), Mischa Schelomianski (Polkan), Samantha Clarke (Golden Cockerel’s Voice) and Matthew Whittet (On stage Cockerel), all gave exquisite performances. However, Hunka, Gimadieva and Popov’s performances pushed this opera into a league of its own. Their voices were velvet, both in their solo work and when singing together. Popov’s upper register was incredibly pure and natural, as was Gimadieva.
Ben Stefanoff, Glam Adelaide, March 2022 *****
Venera Gimadieva sings this part with a bewitchingly mellifluous sound, and it is worth seeing this production just to hear her sing.
Nicholas Routley, Australian Stage, March 2022
The capriciously murderous tsar is comically seduced by the comely Queen of Chemakha, played by Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva, who sang with a wonderfully agile coloratura voice.
Steve Dow, The Age, March 2022
The Tsaritsa of Chemakha is sung by Venera Gimadieva, her rich voice perfectly complementing the seductive nature of her character, with all of the moves and facial expressions to complete the wonderful interpretation.
Barry Lenny, Broadway World, March 2022
...there were also memorable contributions from the singers, including Gimadieva’s dazzling lyric soprano...
Humphrey Bower, Arts Hub, March 2022
The gorgeous Queen of Chemakha – Venera Gimadieva – appears in diaphanous tinselly dress, and in the long second act seduction of Dodon she, Arvo Volmer and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra realise every ounce of sexiness that the music provides.
Nicholas Braithwaite, InDaily, March 2022
Marguerite, Les Huguenots
Semperoper Dresden, July 2019
Venera Gimadieva was the Queen of Navarre, a somewhat silly character who tries to bring peace between the two religious sects. It is a classic coloratura soprano role, and Gimadieva dazzled with the agility of her voice and her ease on the high notes. The phosphorescent quality of her top register, which flutters in a myriad of colours, was perfectly suited to the character’s flirty nature.
Laura Servidei, Bachtrack, 1 July 2019
Venera Gimadieva is an attractive Queen Marguerite, secure in her coloraturas...
Roberto Becker, Concerti.de, 1 July 2019
Venera Gimadieva as Queen Marguerite successfully conquers the coloratura heights of her part.
Joachim Lange, Die Deutsche Bühne, 1 July 2019
Title role, Lucia di Lammermoor
Opernhaus Zürich, March 2019
For the final two performances of the run, Venera Gimadieva has assumed the title role, one that she has sung previously in the house. In the first act, Gimadieva was young, girlish and carefree, her voice fresh and sparkling. By the time she was coerced into marrying Arturo, incomprehension and fear were evident on her face, and her voice took on a distinct metallic edge. The Mad Scene was a descent into desperation, with all the tricks of a coloratura soprano’s trade at Gimadieva’s command, including spot-on intonation in her dialogue with the flute.
Rick Perdian, Seen and Heard International, 8 March 2019
The Hallé cond. Gianluca Marcianò / Momento Immobile
Rubicon; RCD1021 / release date 26 October 2018
Gimadieva tackles the coloratura with dexterity, presenting characterful interpretations throughout. [Both guest soloists] serve to highlight Gimadieva’s vocal pyrotechnics
BBC Music Magazine, January 2019
The Golden Cockerel, La Monnaie (DVD, BelAir Classiques)
La Monnaie / December 2016 (released March 2018)
Among the performers, Venera Gimadieva shines as the Queen of Shemakha, seductively wrapping herself like a tendril around the chromatic lines of her Hymn to the Sun
Mark Pullinger, Gramophone Magazine, June 2018
Appropriately stunning is the Queen of Shemakha, Venera Gimadieva, a big hit in Glyndebourne and Covent Garden’s Traviatas, who has exactly the right luscious but steely tones, and radiates outrageous sensuality and serpentine menace
Michael Scott Rohan, BBC Music Magazine, July 2018
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