Mezzo-soprano Irina Maltseva studied at the Gnessins Russian Academy of Music in Moscow as well as with Professor Mario Diaz in Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria. Already in her student years, she was praised for her beautiful voice in the title role of Lucretia in the opera The Rape of Lucretia, by Britten: ”[…] majestic, tragic timbred voice and intense performance” (Salzburger Nachrichten).
In the years 2016-18 Irina was a part of the International Opera Studio at the Staatstheater Nürnberg. During this time she sang roles such as Mercédès in Carmen, Anna in the new Calixto Bieito’s production of Les Troyens, the alto part in a staged version of St. Matthew’s Passion, Rossweise (Die Walküre), and Flora (La Traviata) the latter staged by the acclaimed director Peter Konwitschny. She stayed at Staatstheater Nürnberg as part of the Ensemble for a few seasons after that, and her most important roles portrayed there were Dorabella (Cosí fan tutte) by Mozart, Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) and Hélène Bezukhova (War and Peace).
Irina sings all over Europe and has sung at the Immling Festival, the Latvian National Opera, the Opéra de Lausanne (Olga in Eugene Onegin), and in the season 2022/2023 she was an ensemble member at Tiroler Landestheater. Even in the smaller roles she has been praised for her charismatic stage presence; as Annina (La Traviata) at the Rheinsberg Castle Chamber Opera, Der Tagesspiegel wrote: "Irina Maltseva as Annina, who knows how to present herself boldly on stage, inspires with her fine voice."
Recent roles performed include Lucretia (The Rape of Lucretia), Margaretha (Genoveva), Feodor (Boris Godunov, staged by Taddeus Strassberger) in Innsbruck, Polina (The Queen of Spades) in Latvian National Opera in Riga and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) in Immling Festival.
Irina Maltseva has worked with conductors such as Keri-Lyn Wilson, Wolfgang Katschner, Johanna Mallwitz, Marcus Bosch, Oliver Dohnányi, Guido Johannes Rumstadt and Lutz de Veer as well as with directors such as Calixto Bieito, Mariame Clément, Peter Konwitschny, Laura Scozzi, Taddeus Strassberger, Jens-Daniel Herzog, Tilman Knabe, David Mouchtar-Samorai or Georg Schmiedleitner.
She attended master classes with Grace Bumbry, Daniel Ottevaere, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Kirsten Schötteldreier and Daphne Evangelatos.
Irina Maltseva is the winner of numerous competitions. She won the Grand Prize at the 10th Musica Classica Festival Competition in Moscow, 1st Prize at the Singing Competition in Lonigo (Italy) and 3rd Prize at the Rachmaninov Competition in Rostov-on-Don. She was a finalist in the Otto Edelmann singing competition in Vienna and at the Nuits Lyriques de Marmande competition in France.
