Julia Novikova — biography

Julia Novikova studied opera singing at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory (prof. Olga Kondina) in her native city, St. Petersburg, and made her first stage experience during her study, singing Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Serpina in La Serva Padrona, and Marfa in The Tsar's Bride.

In 2006 Julia Novikova made her professional stage debut with Mariinsky theatre, performing Flora in The Turn of the Screw (Valery Gergiev, conductor).

During 2006-2008 she has performed Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Queen of Shemakha in The Golden Cockerel, Gilda in Rigoletto in Theater Dortmund and Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte in Oper Frankfurt.

In 2008-2010 she returned with Königin der Nacht to Oper Frankfurt and also performed Königin der Nacht in Bonn, Hamburg and Vienna State Opera and in Staatsoper Unter den Linden. During 2008-2010 she also performed Medoro in Vivaldi's Orlando Furioso, Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera, and Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (all in Bonn), Gilda in Rigoletto (Lübeck and Bonn), Olympia in Les Contes d´Hoffmann (Komische Oper Berlin), Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos (Strasbourg), Adina in L’elisir d’amore (Bonn), Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Stuttgart), Gretel in Hänsel and Gretel (Lyon).

After her debut at the Vienna State Opera as Konigin der Nacht in November 2009 Julia Novikova returned there in 2010-2011 to sing Adina, Oscar, Zerbinetta and Königin der Nacht. In recent seasons she also gave guest performances as Gilda in Komische Oper Berlin, Olympia in Frankfurt, Norina (Don Pasquale) at Washington National Opera.

Julia Novikova celebrated a great success as Gilda in the television production of Rigoletto (directed by Marco Bellocchio), which was filmed in the original locations and transmitted live to 148 countries. The opera was conducted by Zubin Mehta and the cast also included Placido Domingo as Rigoletto, Ruggero Raimondi as Sparafucile and Vittorio Grigolo as Duca di Mantova.

In July 2011 she was highly acclaimed in Bonn in the title role in Bellini’s La Sonnambula and in August 2011 in the title role in Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol at the Quebec Opera Festival and at the Salzburg Festival.

Upcoming engagements include the roles of Königin der Nacht, Oscar, Fiakermilli (Arabella) in Vienna State Opera and the roles of Amour/Roxane/Zima (Les Indes galantes) in Théâtre du Capitole(Toulouse), Königin der Nacht (Das Labyrinth) at the Salzburg Festival and the title role in Lakmé (Santiago de Chile).

Julia Novikova gave many concerts and recitals perfoming at the Muziekdriedaagse Festival in the Hague, Grachten Festival in Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Nancy and Paris (Champs-Elysées), New York (Carnegie Hall) and Budapest National Opera.

Upcoming concert engagements includea New Year’s Concert in Vienna (with Karel Mark Chichon, Elina Garanca and Jonas Kaufmann).

Julia Novikova is a Prize Winner of Wilhelm Stenhammar International Music Competition in Sweden (3rd Prize, 2006), Concours de Geneve (Audience Prize, 2007), Neue Stimmen, Germany (Audience Prize, 2007), and Musik Debüt, Germany (1st Prize, January 2008).

She has won both the 1st Prize and the Audience Prize at OPERALIA 2009 Plácido Domingo The World Opera Competition in Budapest.

August 2011