Lidia Fridman is a dramatic bel canto soprano renowned for her impressive vocal range, rich dark color, and extraordinary agility.
Her 2025/26 season kicks off with Marie in Berg’s Wozzeck at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, followed by Lina in Verdi’s Stiffelio at Fondazione Teatri di Piacenza, Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti di Modena, and Fondazione I Teatri di Reggio Emilia in a new production directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi. Later in the season, she returns as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth at Teatro Regio di Torino under the baton of Riccardo Muti, before joining him again as soprano soloist for An Opera Night with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The season also marks her house debut at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin in May 2026 as Abigaille in Nabucco.
In the 2024/25 season, she made her Spanish debut at Teatro Real in Madrid as Giselda in Verdi’s I Lombardi alla prima crociata, conducted by Daniel Oren. That same season, she also starred in leading roles such as Lucrezia Borgia at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Norma at the Wiener Staatsoper, Anna Bolena at Teatro La Fenice, Salome for the opening of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, and Lady Macbeth in the French version of Verdi’s Macbeth for the opening of the Festival Verdi.
Her exceptional talent was recognized with a nomination for “Young Artist of the Year” at the International Opera Awards in 2021.
In the 2023/2024 season, she began her collaboration with Riccardo Muti, under whose baton she received critical acclaim for her interpretations of Abigaille in Nabucco and Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera. This collaboration also included two distinguished concerts: one marking the 250th anniversary of Spontini at Teatro Pergolesi in Jesi, and another honoring Giacomo Puccini at the Mura di Lucca. Earlier that season, she opened the Festival Verdi in Parma as Giselda in a new production of I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata. She also appeared in the world premiere of Donizetti’s Dalinda at Konzerthaus Berlin, debuted as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and sang the title role in Salome at the Immling Festival in Germany.
During the 2021/2022 season, she took on some of the most demanding roles in the repertoire, including Norma at both La Monnaie (Brussels) and Teatro Regio di Torino, Aroldo in Rimini, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin at the Staatsoper Hannover, and Il segreto di Susanna at Konzerthaus Berlin. In the same season, she made her debut as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth with the Circuito Lirico delle Marche, in a production directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi.
Her international career began in 2019 with the title role in Albinoni’s La Statira at Teatro La Fenice in Venice—the first modern staging of the work. She quickly followed with a standout performance as Ecuba in Manfroce’s rarely performed opera at the Festival della Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca, directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi. That same year, she created the role of Sylvia de Linares in the world premiere of Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo, a production awarded the 2019 “Franco Abbiati” Special Prize.
In 2020, she performed Dido in Dido and Aeneas in Padua, and Lucrezia Borgia at Müpa Budapest, Teatro Verdi di Trieste, and the Aalto-Theater in Essen.
Lidia’s distinguished career is built on a foundation of rigorous musical training. She began her studies at the College of Music in Samara with Natalia Afanasieva and continued her education at the Elena Obraztsova Academy in St. Petersburg. In 2018, she graduated with honors from the Udine Conservatory and achieved top marks at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice. This extensive training has been crucial to her success on the international stage, and she continues to refine her craft under the guidance of Paoletta Marrocu.
Lidia has also recorded the world premieres of Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida (Bergamo 2019) and Dalinda (released in 2024). Her performances in Ecuba, Aroldo, Le Willis, and Edgar have been broadcast on Rai 5, and her concerts with Maestro Muti have been streamed globally.
