Russian mezzo-soprano IRINA SHISHKOVA was born in St Petersburg. She graduated from the vocals faculty of the St Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire (class of senior lecturer Grayr Khanedanian).

In 2008 she made her debut at the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in the title role of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen. At the Novosibirsk Opera she has also performed the roles of Polina and Milovzor in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades.
At the Mariinsky Theatre she has performed in the series of concerts Eras and Styles.
Since 2010 she has been a soloist with the Mariinsky Academy of Young Singers.
Her repertoire includes: Carmen (Carmen), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Eboli (Don Carlo), Joan (The Maid of Orleans), Olga (Eugene Onegin) and Lyubasha (The Tsar's Bride).

Irirna Shishkova is a prize-winner at the All-Russian Alexander Pirogov Competition (1st prize, Ryazan, 2006), recipient of the Hope prize at the International Mikhail Glinka International Competition (Chelyabinsk, 2006), recipient of the Best Debut prize at the International Elena Obraztsova Young Opera Singers' Competition (St Petersburg, 2007), Prize-winner at the International Rimsky-Korsakov Opera Singers' Competition (St Petersburg, 2009), Diploma-recipient at the Competizione dell'Opera International Opera Competition (Dresden, 2010) .