Aigul Khismatullina
Backstage Q & A with ‘The Queen of the Night’ of Royal Opera House Muscat’s new production of Die Zauberflöte.
The backstage area of an opera house, an hour before downbeat, is where the visual magic you see on stage is prepared. Make-up, wigs, costumes, warm-ups, props, sets, stage notes… one of my favorite places on Earth! Somehow, amidst all the craziness of closing night, I managed to fit in a quick chat with one of the stars of the evening!
Aigul Khismatullina is a 30 year old soprano on the rise, from Naberezhny Chelny in the Republic of Tatarstan. After graduating in 2014 from the Kazan State Zhiganov Conservatory, she trained under world-renowned coloratura soprano Albina Shagimuratova (2014–2016). Since 2016, she has been a soloist at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. In 2017 she became a grant-recipient of the Atkins Young Artists Program Fellowship at the Mariinsky Theatre. She made her Mariinsky Theatre debut as The Nightingale in Stravinsky’s opera Le Rossignol. In 2019, she won First Prize in the Francisco Viñas Competition in Barcelona and Second Prize at the Tchaikovsky International Competition, which gave her international attention.
It was a great surprise to meet Aigul halfway through her makeup call and right before her stellar performance as The Queen of the Night in Royal Opera House Muscat’s new production of Die Zauberflöte, directed by Davide Livermore. Her big glittery eyes and enthusiasm were a breath of fresh air. This pre-performance meeting made me even more excited to see her do her thing on stage later!
360 of Opera: Usually, when a soprano is able to sing this challenging role at a high level, she performs it a lot. Is this your first run as The Queen of the Night or have you sung it before?
AK: I have sung it several times at my home company, The Mariinsky Theatre in Russia. But this is my first time singing it abroad, which is very exciting!
360 of Opera: How has this particular experience been for you?
AK: It’s been fantastic and very rewarding. I think this production is perfect and very interesting. I loved working with our director Davide Livermore in this new production, which was especially made to highlight the local culture and tradition of Oman. Many members of the chorus and all the supernumeraries in the show are Omani, which made it special for everyone, especially the local audience. Also, our costumes designed by Mariana Fracasso, are inspired in traditional Omani garments and they are beautiful.
360 of Opera: Have you worked with anyone in the cast or production team before?
AK: No! I met everyone here and it’s been such a good environment. All my colleagues are very kind and we have great chemistry. I’m very happy! It has been a great atmosphere.
360 of Opera: How long was the rehearsal process? Did you get a chance to explore Muscat?
AK: I have been here for almost a month, I arrived on December 8th. It’s a very interesting country, with a special culture. I am Muslin myself, so it all felt very close to me and I felt at home. Everyone here is very welcoming. The beginning of the process was very busy with rehearsals but the last week slowed down and I was able to explore the city and relax a little more. The weather here is amazing so I really enjoyed that.
360 of Opera: This production has a very unique staging for your second aria “Der Hölle Rache” - a diva moment for sure! I love it as an audience member, do you enjoy it as a performer?
AK: Oooh yes, very much!! Our stage director is so great, I loved working with him and he really challenged us. In this scene, I sit on a big armchair and the Three Ladies do my nails and roll my chair around, while I sing the high notes. We have a lot of fun with it and the audience really likes it!
360 of Opera: What is coming next for you?
AK: I have more international debuts coming up, for example at The Israeli Opera. As far as roles, I will soon be singing Gilda, Zerlina, Mélisande, Adina, Lauretta & Nannetta. I’m really looking forward to it!
360 of Opera: How is it going from The Queen of the Night to Zerlina, which is a role that sits much lower in your voice?
AK: I mean… it’a all MOZART! So for me, it is the same!
360 of Opera: Is Mozart your favorite composer?
AK: Maybe! Mozart is really good for me, for my technique, for my voice, for the “gola”.
A big thank you to Aigul for chatting with #360ofOpera! The Queen of the Night is definitely a role she owns vocally and dramatically. She gave many of us in the audience goosebumps, especially during her second aria. I hope many of you get to see her perform in the future, somewhere around the world. All my best wishes for your upcoming house and role debuts, Aigul! 🌹 👑
#360ofOpera x #ROHM
📝 Eugenia Forteza
Production Photos by Khalid Albusaidi, ROHM