Larissa Diadkova

Larissa Ivanovna Diadkova, born on March 9, 1952, in Zelenodolsk (Tatarstan), is a Soviet and Russian mezzo‑soprano who studied at the Leningrad Conservatory before joining the Kirov Opera Company, debuting as Vanya in Mikhail Glinka's A Life for the Tsar. Her breakthrough came with performances of Russian and Slavic repertoire, leading to invitations from Mstislav Rostropovich at the Bolshoi and collaborations with Valery Gergiev at the Mariinsky. She appeared in major venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Metropolitan Opera, earning the Order of Friendship and the title of People's Artist of Russia. In 1996, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Madeleine in André Chénier. Two years later, she appeared at La Scala as Marfa in Khovanshchina and returned to the Metropolitan Opera, where she performed in Prince Igor, Ruslan and Lyudmila, Mazeppa, and Betrothal in a Monastery.