Ukrainian-American dramatic mezzo-soprano Galina Ivannikova is hailed by critics and audiences alike for her rich, lustrous voice as much as her passionate dramatic portrayals. Bruce Michael Gelbert of the NY Art Review raved about “her timbre ruby in color, her chest register aptly gusty and her emotional pitch perfect,” “big, glorious Verdi voice in the Golden Age tradition.”
During the 2018-2019 she sang the role of Amneris with Gateway Classical Opera Society, the mezzo soloist in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Samson et Dalila with NYVWOG, Azucena and the Witch with Regina Opera, Ulrica with Amore Opera, NY, the role of Eboli from Don Carlo and the role of Brangäne from Tristan and Isolde with CT Lyric Opera, and a series of concerts throughout the United States.
In the 2017-2018 season, she sang her signature role of Amneris in Verdi’s Aida with Connecticut Lyric Opera and with West Side Opera Society. She appeared as Klytemnestra in Richard Strauss’ Electra with Susquehanna Opera, Waltraute in Wagner’s Götterdummerung and Leonora in Donizetti’s La favorita with NY WSOS.
Ms. Ivannikova opened the 2016-2017 season, with several of her signature roles. She opened the season as Amneris in Verdi’s Aida with Lyric Theater D’Europa. Her portrayal of la Cieca in La Gioconda by Ponchielli with NJ Verismo Opera was positively reviewed by Opera Magazine, London as “imposing instrument and passion.” She then appeared as Eboli in Don Carlo by Verdi and later returned to Commonwealth Opera Theater in Boson as Innkeeper and Marina Mnishek in Musorgsky’s Boris Godunov with Commonwealth Opera Theater, Boston.
In 2014-2015, she was critically acclaimed as Maddalena in Verdi’s Rigoletto. This season Ms. Ivannikova also appeared as Leonora in Donizetti’s La favorita and Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera by Verdi. In the spring, she made her Commonwealth Opera Theater debut as Odarka in Hulak- Artemovsky’s The Cossack beyond the Danube. She then returned to VP NYC in the role of Marta in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta.
In 2012-2013 she debuted with NY Lyric Opera in the role of Fricka in Wagner’s Die Walküre and with NJ Verismo Opera in the role of Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavaleria rusticana and Azucena in Verdi’s Il trovatore. Ms. Ivannikova then embarked on a concert tour of the US East Coast, featuring Eastern European Classical music. In fall of 2013, she came back to NYC to make her VP NYC debut as Ulrica in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera.
In previous seasons she appeared as Amneris (Aida) with Opera Memphis, TN, Nicklauss/Muse (The Tales of Hoffman) with Connecticut Lyric Opera. Ms. Ivannikova was critically acclaimed for her portrayal of Azucena (Il Trovatore) with Verismo Opera, where she also performed Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana). Her wide ranging repertoire includes the title role of Carmen, Waltraute in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, Erda in Wagner’s Das Rheingold, Fricka in Wagner’s Die Walküre, Dalilah in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalilah, Leonora in Donizetti’s La Favorita, Azucena in Verdi’s Il trovatore, Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo, Ulrica in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, La Cieca/Laura in Ponchielli’s La gioconda, Principessa in Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur, Olga/ Nurse/Larina in Eugene Onegin, Marfa in Khovanshchina, and Mezzo Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem.
