Margarita Gritskova  Mezzo-soprano
 
  BIOGRAPHY  

 

In 2023 Margarita Gritskova enjoyed great success with her debut as EBOLI in “Don Carlo” at the Klosterneuburg Festival. In this very role she also makes her debut in 2025 at the Finnish Opera Helsinki.

In 2024 she returns to Klosterneuburg as EBOLI and she also sings ADALGISA here.

in 2021, Margarita Gritskova made her role debut as PREZIOSILLA (La forza del destino) at the Klosterneuburg Festival and returned here in summer 2023 for her first EBOLI in “Don Carlo”.

In 2021/22 she made her debut as AMNERIS in “Aida” at the Weimar National Theatre, as JOHANNA SEYMOUR in “Anna Bolena” at the State Theatre am Gärtnerplatz in Munich, as ROSINA in “Il barbiere di Siviglia” at the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow (Tugan Sokhiev conducting), and as ADALGISA at the Immling Festival In 2022 she was PREZIOSILLA in “La forza del destino” at the Klosterneuburg Festival.

In the Yearbook 2022 of the Opera Magazine Opernwelt Margarita Gritskova was nominated Singer of the Year for her interpretation of AMNERIS in the Weimar "Aida" production.

Since 2012 Margarita Gritskova has been a member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera, where she quickly advanced to the public favourite.
Margarita has sung all the major roles for mezzo soprano in the Mozart and Rossini repertoire ranging from - CHERUBINO, IDAMANTE, ANNIO, SESTO, DORABELLA, BRADAMANTE, ROSINA, ANGELINA, ISABELLA, as well as OLGA ("Eugen Onegin"), KRISTA in the premiere of "Makropulos" (directed by Peter Stein), PRINZ ORLOFSKY in “Die Fledermaus” and MASHA in the world premiere production of "Three Sisters" by Peter Eotvos (directed by Yuval Sharon).
As a result, Maestro Peter Eotvos devoted his romance to Margarita, written on Marina Tsvetaeva’s poem "Bitterness".

In 2018 she sang her first Carmen in Vienna, with Piotr Beczala as Don José.

Margarita Gritskova represents the Vienna State Opera also on tours. She sang CHERUBINO at guest performances of the Vienna State Opera in Japan under Riccardo Muti and in Aix-en- Provence under Alain Altinoglu.

Born in Sankt Petersburg, the artist studied piano and singing in her hometown and graduated 2010 at the State Academy of Music in the class of Irina Bogatschewa. Here she sang her first CARMEN under the baton of Mariss Jansons.

Already as a student, Margarita Gritskova won prizes at the Luciano Pavarotti-Competition in Modena and the Concurso Internacional de Canto Villa de Colmenar in Spain.

October 2011 marks her first appearance in North America as OLGA ("Eugen Onegin") at the Opéra de Quebec in Canada.
Margarita Gritskova appears at renowned festivals, such as the Salzburg festival, the Festivale de Opera in Tenerifa, the Rossini Festival in Pesaro and the Schleswig-Holstein festival…

She sings at major opera houses, such as the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, the Hamburg State Opera, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Opera House Zurich, the Opera Theatres in Oslo and in Valencia.

In 2014 she appeared at the premiere of the Rossini festival in Bad Wildbad as OTTONE in «Adelaide in Borgogna» and in 2016 in the title role of SIGISMONDO (conductor Antonino Fogliani). Recordings of both premieres were released by Naxos-Records.
CD’s with works by Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Shostakowich were also published by Naxos.

 

 
 
 
REVIEWS
 
Oper Klosterneuburg – Don Carlo - EBOLI
"Margarita Gritskova impressed as princess Eboli by beauty and vocal bravura, especially with her Veil Song, sung in presence of her court ladies. Also as an actress she effortlessly succeeds in creating a balance between the jealous intriguer and the remorseful repentant, who confesses her betrayal to the queen."
Der neue Merker 08 + 09 / 2023, Urusula Szynkariuk
"With bravura and an expressive dramatical mezzo voice, Margarita Gritskova mastersher first Eboli."
Ernst B.Strobl - Salzburger Nachrichten
pressreader.com
"The Russian mezzo-soprano Margarita Gritskova, as an ambitious, zealous and career-addicted princess Eboli, sings as if she is constantly under power. Thus, she spreads a persistent feeling of smoldering tension, which then also escalates into an act of revenge. The first signs of this can already be seen in her first aria "Nel giardin del bello", which sounds engaging, but cannot deny a spark of inner restlessness in Gritskova’s interpretation. Her repentance and unconditional withdrawal into the solitude of a monastery sound truly. Whether this decision is actually final, however, may be doubted by this easily excitable, hypersensitive woman who is fighting for recognition. Unless she soon becomes an abbess."
Manfred A. Schmid - Online Merker
onlinemerker.com
"Margarita Gritskova was a great Eboli, she has the real elevation for this game, but the depth too, plus a luxurious appearance."
Online Merker
onlinemerker.com
Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz München – Anna Bolena – GIOVANNA SEYMOUR
"Her antagonist, the mezzo soprano Margarita Gritskova as Jane Seymour, , isn’t just a a counterpoint in the role, but also vocally. Her voice is just as flexible as her moods, ranging in between remourse and greed for power."
Barbara Hauter, 4.12.2020, Klassik begeistert
"The mezzo soprano Margarita Gritskova manages to rise to the challenge without sounding shrill or overdramatic. She always stays light, hardly ever presses and concentrates on an nuanced voice leading with an excellent technique. The duet turns into a belcanto delight for the audience."
Dr. Helmut Pitsch - OperaOnline
onlinemerker.com
"But Donizetti and his librettist have used the template for a fabulously invented and above all wonderfully composed scene between both rivals, in which Jane confesses her love and at the same time tries to save Anna’s life. ….and die remarkable, Russian mezzo soprano Margarita Gritskova as Jane (what a powerful and warm soprano voice!) perform enchantingly."
Petra Herrmann - Kultura-extra.de
kultura-extra.de
"Giovanna Seymour with a powerfully melodious mezzo soprano voice as if made for the National Theatre: Margarita Gritskova."
Klaus Kalchschmid - sueddeutsche.de
sueddeutsche.de
"Giovanna Seymour, still Anna‘s rival, who finally becomes Henry the VIIIth wife is portrayed by Margarita Gritskov who excels with a brilliant , powerful mezzo soprano voice."
Daniela Zimmermann - IOCO, Kultur im Netz
Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz München – Anna Bolena – GIOVANNA SEYMOUR
"The real sensation was Margarita Gritskova in the role of Amneris. The timbre of her voice combines dark depth and tall heights merging into vocal power bursting out. She became the vocal dot above “i” in an “Aida”, which will not only be vigorously discussed by the public, but also became for her a sensual and delightful theatrical event!"
Joachim Lange, Südthüringen.de, 31.10.2021
insuedthueringen.de
"All of them were outshined by Margarita Gritskova, whose mezzo-soprano turned out to be truly stunning. In the role of Amneris, she returned to the stage of the German National Theater in Weimar, in which the singer performed since 2010, but from which she was literally immediately lured away to Vienna. The thirty-three year old singer amazes as the force of the elements, impressing the audience with the dramatic power and rich timbre of her mezzo-soprano, for which there seem to be no boundaries. Even if there were no pyramids on the stage, “Aida”, staged at the German National Theater in Weimar, would be discussed without them."
Bettina Volksdorf, MDR Kultur.de
"And yet, the star of this unforgettable premiere was Margarita Gritskova. The voluminous, dynamic and mystically shaded mezzo-soprano of the former singer of the Weimar Theater allures, cooes and cries, embodying Amneris, who is capable of throwing even the Viennese opera audience to her feet, performing in front of them in her new art homeland."
Wolfgang Hirsch, Thüringer Allgemeine
thueringer-allgemeine.de
Wiener Staatsoper – Der Barbier von Sevilla - ROSINA
"It seems like “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini, given on the stage of the Vienna State Opera on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, must’ve become the proof that the troupe’s members and the world celebrities are able to match each other. If this intention meant the answer to the question whether the voice of one of the troupe’s members could compare with the elegance of coloraturas of the best tenor of modern times, then last Saturday Margarita gave the answer to it. Not only in duet with Juan Diego Flórez, her aria of Rosina deserves to be streamed directly on the internet all across the world tomorrow. This love couple meets all vocal and comedy preconditions that are capable to turn the evening in the opera house into an extremely amusing event. (…) This Count Almaviva found himself a worthy countess in coquettish, sly and ardent Rosina presented on the stage by Margarita Gritskova who showed incredible flexibility in all registers of her melodious mezzo-soprano. The fact that she is a member of the theatre’s troupe is a true gift for the anniversary, which the State Opera has managed to present to itself and its audience"
W.Sinkovicz, DiePresse
diepresse.com
Oper Klosterneuburg – La Forza del destino - PREZIOSILLA
"And then there is the mezzo-soprano Margarita Gritskova, who is outstanding in every respect, who sweeps across the stage as a Preziosilla almost in “Carmen” fashion (a good director’s idea!) And also burns off a fireworks vocal."
Kurier - Perer Jarolin
operklosterneuburg.at
"Margarita Gritskova playing the part of Preziosilla has become a real pleasure for the spectators’ eyes and ears. Her powerful and clear mezzo-soprano in all its height has become the evening’s apotheosis."
Online Merker- Johannes Marksteiner, 4.07.2021
onlinemerker.com
"Margarita Gritskova, a mezzo-soprano singer from Saint Petersburg, has become a real star, who has long since lived and worked in Vienna. She has performed the starring role of Preziosilla and managed to mesmerize the spectators with her posture, dancing and a gorgeous coloratura soprano. When Margarita is conquering the stage, casting different choral groups into shade, the spectators have a keen feeling of what is happening!"
Online Merker - Sieglinde Pfabigan
onlinemerker.com
"Undoubtedly, Preziosilla played by Margarita Gritskova, has managed to approach it! Her mezzo-soprano, for which, as it seems, there are neither upper nor lower limits, has allowed Margarita to cope brilliantly with this rather unrewarding role, which had at times brought bad luck to some of her celebrated colleagues, and had sometimes made the spectators feel embarrassed for the performer – bravo! Until now, of all the many performers in “The Force of Destiny” I have seen, there were only three who managed to be irrevocably convincing – Luciana D’Intino, Bruna Baglioni and Kristina Kolar – now there are four of them!"
Online Merker- Michael Tanzler, 14.07.2021
 
 
 
ON STAGE
Musikfestival Gut Immling Chiemgau – Norma – ADALGISA
 
Wiener Staatsoper -Die Sache Makropulos – KRISTA
 
Wiener Staatsoper CARMEN
 
Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz München – Anna Bolena – GIOVANNA SEYMOUR
 
Wiener Staatsoper - Drei Schwestern – MASHA