Kristina, hello! Our recurring question: could you please give a few recommendations for our readers? In your opinion, which opera is ideal for a romantic date, which one is best for going to the theatre with the whole family, and also, could you suggest the best choice of performance for someone attending the opera for the first time in their life?

Hello! Well, for a romantic date, The Pearl Fishers would be a good choice. Its secret is simple: the opera ends on a rather positive note. For a family outing, something like The Story of Kay and Gerda or Hansel and Gretel would work well. And for someone’s first visit to the opera, I think the best choice is to go to an opera performed in a language you understand, with a clear and accessible plot.

Great, thank you! Next question: has the opera world changed since your debut, and if so, how? Just describe your impressions…

That’s an interesting question. I’ll tell you what I’ve felt personally. Before COVID, I had projects and was recording CDs of Baroque music, but all the plans changed. It seems that there are fewer projects with Baroque orchestras now, due to funding issues. It’s actually very expensive: you need to transport the instruments safely. Usually, a theatre has its own orchestra, but for Baroque projects, they used to invite other orchestras with their own instruments — specialised specifically in early music. Now I’m seeing more and more that only the popular opera titles are staged: La Traviata, La Bohème, Carmen — the ones the audience knows and loves well. There’s much less bel canto nowadays, and I’m really sorry that such amazing music is being performed less and less often.

Thank you for the detailed answer — it’s very interesting. We can naturally move on to the next question. What would you wish for opera, for the art of opera, and for the opera business over the next 10–15 years? I suppose, first of all, it’s the return of Baroque orchestras. Perhaps there’s something else?

I’d like as many people as possible to be able to come to the theatres, to enjoy the performances, and to have the voices and the music touch their hearts and heal their souls. Opera is all about love — let there be more love, love for everything. Of course, I’d also like to see greater popularisation in the media and on television, more open and free broadcasts in public squares and parks, and perhaps more projects aimed at children. I see from my own kids how interesting it can be for them too.

Kristina, thank you. And the final question: where do you find most of your inspiration? In which locations, or in whose company?

My main source of inspiration is music. I don’t take on roles that don’t inspire me. Everything is already there in the music. My part of the job is to analyse what the composer wanted to convey: the colours, the rhythmic pattern, and precisely why it’s done this way and not another. It’s very interesting to delve into the essence and look for answers in the score.

Thank you…