A mezzo‑soprano, graduate of the Magnitogorsk Music College (class of M. G. Pavlova) and the N. A. Rimsky‑Korsakov Leningrad State Conservatory (1973, class of Olga Feliksovna Mshanskaya).
While still in her third year at the Conservatory she was invited to join the company of the S. M. Kirov Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (now the Mariinsky), where she made her debut as Olga in Tchaikovsky’s «Eugene Onegin».
During her seven years at the Mariinsky Theatre Nina Terentyeva performed more than twenty roles.
In 1977 she was invited to the Bolshoi Theatre as a principal soloist and remained there for thirty‑five years.
Her repertoire includes more than fifty operatic roles, as well as the mezzo‑soprano part in Verdi’s «Requiem», and roles in oratorios and cantatas by S. Prokofiev and L. Beethoven, and in Tchaikovsky’s cantata «Moscow».
Operatic roles include:
- Amneris («Aida» G. Verdi);
- Azucena («Il trovatore» G. Verdi);
- Princess Eboli («Don Carlo» G. Verdi);
- Ulrica («Un ballo in maschera» G. Verdi);
- the mezzo‑soprano part in Verdi’s «Requiem»;
- Lyubasha («The Tsar’s Bride» N. Rimsky‑Korsakov);
- Vesna‑Krasna, the Spirit of Spring («The Snow Maiden» N. Rimsky‑Korsakov);
- Carmen («Carmen» G. Bizet);
- Santuzza («Cavalleria rusticana» P. Mascagni);
- Maddalena («Rigoletto» G. Verdi);
- Laura («La Gioconda» A. Ponchielli);
- Princess de Bouillon («Adriana Lecouvreur» F. Cilea);
- Dalila («Samson et Dalila» C. Saint‑Saëns);
- Martha («Khovanshchina» M. Mussorgsky);
- Marina Mnishek («Boris Godunov» M. Mussorgsky);
- Countess Hélène Bezukhova and Sonya («War and Peace» S. Prokofiev);
- Polina and the Countess («The Queen of Spades» P. Tchaikovsky);
- Judith («Bluebeard’s Castle» B. Bartók);
- Lyubava («Sadko» N. Rimsky‑Korsakov);
- Charlotte («Werther» J. Massenet).
Heir to the finest traditions of the Russian mezzo‑soprano school, she is one of the most distinguished mezzo‑sopranos on the international opera scene, admired for the beauty and richness of her timbre and her flawless vocal technique.
She has toured widely and with great success, appearing at many of Europe’s most renowned theatres, including:
- Teatro alla Scala (Italy);
- Arena di Verona (Italy);
- Opéra National de Bordeaux (France);
- the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London);
- the Bavarian State Opera (Germany);
- the German National Opera (Germany);
- Teatro Real (Spain);
- Gran Teatre del Liceu (Spain);
- the Vienna State Opera (Austria).
In 1998, at the invitation of director Franco Zeffirelli, she took part in the gala opening of the new opera house in Tokyo, singing Amneris in Verdi’s «Aida».
In 1999 she opened the season at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Amneris, with Plácido Domingo on the podium, and in 2000 Domingo invited Nina Terentyeva to appear in his solo gala at the Arena di Verona in Italy.
Nina Terentyeva has appeared many times at Carnegie Hall in New York, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Baltimore Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Atlanta Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Teatro Municipal in Santiago (Chile), in Caracas (Venezuela), and elsewhere.
She has worked with such world‑famous conductors as James Levine, Riccardo Muti, Yuri Temirkanov, Valery Gergiev, and others.
Her stage partners have included Leona Mitchell, Martina Arroyo and Leontyne Price (depending on casting you may adjust), Nelly Tovmasyan or N. Troitskaya, Ghena Dimitrova, Maria Guleghina, Plácido Domingo, Vladimir Atlantov, José Cura, Giuseppe Giacomini, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Evgeny Nesterenko, Ildar Abdrazakov, Vladimir Chernov, and many others.
Nina Terentyeva is a laureate of the International Vocal Competition in ’s‑Hertogenbosch (Second Prize, Netherlands, 1975).
She has been awarded the honorary titles «Honoured Artist of the RSFSR» (1995) and «People’s Artist of the Russian Federation» (2001), and has received the Order of Honour.
Press reviews:
- «Mezzo‑soprano Nina Terentyeva gave a Dalila that was vocally most impressive. Dominating her portrayal were complete identification with the role, sincerity of expression, and great power. Her singing was brilliant, and because she delivered the arias with musical assurance and excellent taste, her triumph with an audience hungry for majestic voices was absolute.» (La Nación, Argentina).
- «Each of her appearances became something truly transcendent, artistically fulfilling and more than satisfying even for the most demanding regulars.» (Ambito Financiero, Buenos Aires).
- «In this “men’s” opera Nina Terentyeva as Martha was essential for maintaining balance, and in such a large role she was in no way overshadowed by her male colleagues, either by her impressive voice or her acting. She sang her scenes splendidly, especially the fortune‑telling scene in the second act.» (Sunnuntaina, Finland).
Since 2009 Nina Nikolayevna Terentyeva has been an Associate Professor in the Solo Academic Singing Department of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.
