Latest stories
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Mujer Fatal from Aigul Akhmetshina and Antonio Pappano
21st Aug 2026by Katherine Cooper
Two strong musical personalities come together to spellbinding effect in a programme exploring the idea of the femme fatale, taking in songs by composers including Elena Roussanova, Montsalvatge, Bizet, Gershwin and Britten.
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Aigul Akhmetshina on 'Fifty Shades of Carmen'
5th Aug 2024by Katherine Cooper
The Bashkir mezzo talks about tapping into Carmen's vulnerability in Damiano Michieletto's recent production at Covent Garden, how she recharges between performances of such an emotionally-demanding role - and why she wishes casting-directors would give her more opportunities to quite literally wear the trousers...
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Aigul Akhmetshina's debut album on Decca
26th Jul 2024by Katherine Cooper
The Bashkortostan-born mezzo turns in finely-characterised snapshots of Carmen, Rosina, Cenerentola, Charlotte and Romeo, with a multi-hued voice that glows from top to bottom and atmospheric support from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on top form under Daniele Rustioni.