Natalia A. Dmitrieva

In 1970 she graduated with honours from the M. M. Ippolitov‑Ivanov Music College (class of T. E. Talakhadze); in 1977 from the Gnesin State Musical and Pedagogical Institute (now Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, class of N. A. Verbova); and in 1985 she completed an assistant traineeship under L. K. Yaroslavtseva.

In 1978 N. A. Dmitrieva became one of the founders and principal soloists of the Opera Studio Theatre of the Gnesin Institute, where she sang leading roles, including Lisa (Tchaikovsky «The Queen of Spades»), Tatyana (Tchaikovsky «Eugene Onegin»), Norina (Donizetti «Don Pasquale»), Violetta (Verdi «La Traviata»), Mimì (Puccini «La Bohème»), the Countess (Mozart «The Marriage of Figaro»), Santuzza (Mascagni «Cavalleria rusticana»), Lauretta (Puccini «Gianni Schicchi»), and Zemfira (Rachmaninoff «Aleko»).

Over the course of her singing career she proved herself a talented, highly qualified musician. Her voice was distinguished by its beautiful timbre and excellent vocal and technical command, which enabled her to perform both central soprano roles and high soprano parts. N. A. Dmitrieva’s heroines were marked by great emotional intensity, sincerity, and warmth.

The archives of Gosteleradio USSR preserve recordings of the productions «The Marriage of Figaro», «La Bohème», and «La Traviata», in which N. A. Dmitrieva sings the roles of the Countess, Mimì, and Violetta. In 1988 she performed the role of Anyuta in Aleksandr Pashkevich’s opera «Unhappiness from the Carriage», recorded on the stage of the Sheremetev Theatre in Ostankino.

N. A. Dmitrieva toured both independently and with the Opera Studio Theatre abroad, appearing in Bulgaria (1980), Germany, and Switzerland (1991, 1999, 2000, 2005).

Her teaching career began in 1992. From 1992 to 1996 she taught at the Maimonides State Academy. Since 1995 N. A. Dmitrieva has led a class in solo and chamber singing at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.

Among her more than forty graduates are soloists of opera and music theatres, laureates of international and all‑Russian competitions, and vocal teachers, including:

• Sergey Petrishchev (Gold Medal of the Delphic Games, 2005), soloist of the Natalya Sats Children’s Musical Theatre;
• Liliya Piven (Premio Spiros Argiris International Competition, 2008);
• Ilya Ushullu (Third Prize at the «Art of the 21st Century» Music Competition, Lonigo, Italy, 2007), soloist of Mosconcert;
• Li Hong (Second Prize at the «Art of the 21st Century» Music Competition, Lonigo, Italy, 2007), who works at an opera centre in Beijing;
• Elena Dyadyanova and Anna Sinitsyna (Second Prize at the D. Bortnyansky International Vocal Ensemble Competition, Kyiv);
• Anna Sinitsyna, soloist of the «Novaya Opera» Theatre;
• Badral Chuluunbatar (Second Prize at the M. D. Mikhailov International Competition‑Festival in Cheboksary; Grand Prix at the A. P. Ivanov International Vocalists’ Competition, Tver, 2013; Second Prize and award for best performance of Rachmaninoff’s works at the M. I. Glinka International Vocalists’ Competition, 2014; Grand Prix of the 1st All‑Russian Natalia Shpiller Vocal Competition «Masterpieces of Russian Music», Moscow, 2014; Second Prize at the 20th Elena Obraztsova International Competition of Young Opera Singers; Third Prize at the Virgilijus Noreika International Vocal Competition, Vilnius, 2017; Second Prize at the Competizione dell’Opera International Vocal Competition, Austria, 2017; Third Prize at the 2nd «Angelo Loforese» International Vocal Competition, Milan, 2017; First Prize at the 8th «St. Petersburg» International Opera Singers Competition, 2017; First Prize at the 1st Leonid Sobinov International Vocal Competition, Yaroslavl, 2018; First Prize at the 3rd Eva Marton International Singing Competition, Budapest, 2018; since 2018, soloist of Teatro alla Scala, Milan).

N. A. Dmitrieva has devoted more than twenty years to academic teaching and concert‑outreach work and is co‑author of the Gnesin Academy’s «Opera Training» curriculum. On her initiative cycles of concerts for children and young people entitled «Music on Povarskaya and a Little to the Side» were created.

With Natalia Anatolyevna’s participation, lecture‑recital programmes were developed for children’s homes, vocational schools, and teacher‑training colleges.

With the direct involvement of N. A. Dmitrieva, the Opera Studio Theatre production of Tchaikovsky’s «Eugene Onegin» at the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music received a participant’s diploma at the Moscow Opera Festival dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Alexander Pushkin, while the production of Rossini’s «Il barbiere di Siviglia» was awarded laureate status at the «Festos» Moscow Student Creativity Festival (1999).

N. A. Dmitrieva is artistic director of projects such as «We Love Opera» (recipient of a grant from the Ministry of Culture of the Moscow Region) and «Youth Opera Theatre of the 21st Century» at the Tsaritsyno Museum‑Reserve (2011).

Natalia Anatolyevna regularly gives masterclasses as part of the «Young Talents of Russia» Charity Foundation project, and in 2011 she taught within an international creative project dedicated to the Year of Spain in Russia and the Year of Russia in Spain (with the participation of students from the Barcelona Conservatory).

Since 2011 N. A. Dmitrieva has taken part in a student exchange between the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music and the Barcelona Conservatory (Spain). Within this project, in the 2012–2013 academic year Gnesin students participated in a production of Benjamin Britten’s opera «The Turn of the Screw», and in 2013–2014 in a production of Mozart’s «Die Zauberflöte». In the 2011–2012 academic year, under a student exchange with a university in Québec, Canada, she worked with student Lili Lorenzana‑Bilodeau.

N. A. Dmitrieva has served on the juries of various competitions, including:

• the Valentina Levko Russian Competition (Moscow);
• the G. Sviridov Memorial Russian Open Music Festival‑Competition «And in the Heart Russia Shines» (Balashikha, 2012);
• the «Slavic Encounters» International Festival‑Competition (dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Russia’s victory in 1812);
• the Natalia Shpiller All‑Russian Vocal Competition «Masterpieces of Russian Music» (since 2014), among others.

N. A. Dmitrieva has served as Chair of the State Examination Board at the Maimonides State Academy (2009–2010).

A biographical essay on Natalia Anatolyevna Dmitrieva was included in the 7th edition of the International Swiss publisher’s encyclopaedia «Who is Who in Russia».

She has given a number of interviews in print and online media (2005–2007).

In 2015 the Public Academy «Voice» awarded N. A. Dmitrieva the title of laureate for her pedagogical excellence.

In 2009, 2010, and 2011 she received letters of thanks from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation for her major contribution to the training of Chinese candidates and doctoral students.

N. A. Dmitrieva is a member of the Union of Theatre Professionals and holds the title «Veteran of Labour» (2012). She has been awarded a Certificate of Honour by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation for her significant contribution to the development of culture (2012) and is an Honoured Cultural Worker of Mongolia (2015).