Albina Tonkikh is a Belarusian soprano known for her expressive lyricism, stage charisma, and growing international presence. Born in Minsk, she graduated with distinction from the Belarus State Academy of Music in 2020, where she studied under the guidance of Nina Sharubina. She further refined her craft through a master’s course in musical art at the same institution and completed an internship at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music under Professor Zigrīda Krīgere.
In 2021, Tonkikh joined the Bolshoi Theatre’s prestigious Young Artists Opera Programme, a turning point in her professional development. During her tenure at the Bolshoi, she participated in a range of projects that displayed her stylistic versatility and theatrical instinct. Among her notable performances was the role of Gerda in Banevich’s opera The Story of Kai and Gerda, staged at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2023. She also appeared in concert settings, including a 2023 gala featuring soloists from the Bolshoi and children’s choir, where she performed Oksana’s aria from Tchaikovsky’s Cherevichki. In June 2024, she sang Marguerite’s aria “Ah! je ris de me voir” from Gounod’s Faust during a collaborative gala between the Bolshoi Theatre and the Armenian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
In 2023, Tonkikh won the Third Prize at the XVII International Tchaikovsky Competition, one of the most prestigious classical music contests in the world. This distinction solidified her reputation as a vocalist of international caliber and drew attention from leading opera houses across Europe.
Her engagements beyond the Bolshoi have expanded rapidly. She has become a familiar name at the Teatro Regio di Torino, where her roles as a member of their Ensemble have included Barbarina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Prilepa in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, Contessa di Ceprano in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Bersi in Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, as well as Zaby in Daniel Auber’s Manon Lescaut. Also as a member of the Regio Ensemble, she performed abridged versions of the roles of Gilda and Adina in “Rigoletto” and “The Magic Potion of Dulcamara”. With Teatro Regio, she has upcoming roles as Garsenda in Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini, and Clorinda in Rossini’s La Cenerentola.
Elsewhere, she has taken on the role of Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen with the Novosibirsk State Philharmonic Society.
As she continues to take on more substantial roles across major opera houses, she is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising young sopranos of her generation.
