Russian mezzo-soprano Mairam Sokolova studied at the Department of Music of the Irkutsk State University and made her first steps as a singer at the State Youth Musical Theatre in Irkutsk as well. Thereupon she graduated from The Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory after having had classes with Zurab Sotkilava and performances at the Conservatory Opera Theatre. Additionally, she received coaching from Elena Obraztsova, Irina Bogacheva, Makvala Kasrashvili, and took part in master classes with Mietta Signele, Veriano Luchetti, Gloria Borelli, and Diane Zola. At present she is a post-graduate student of the Moscow Conservatory.
Mairam Sokolova has given many recitals and concerts with Moscow Symphony Orchestra, at Moscow International House of Music (From Jewish Folk Poetry of Shostakovich), Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Opera Theater of Almaty, among others. Recent appearances included solo concerts in Vienna and Lisbon with Romances of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
She participated in a number of festivals (Edinburgh, Tver, Kostomuksha, Russia).
Her repertoire includes Olga in Eugene Onegin, Lyubasha in The Tsar’s Bride, 3. Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Lel in The Snow Maiden, mezzo solo part in Verdi’s Requiem, Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera, Eboli in Don Carlos, Vanya in A Life for the Tsar, Polina in The Queen of Spades, Maddalena in Rigoletto.
Mairam Sokolova performed the title part in Carmen (Opera Operetta Classical Vienna Series in Tokyo, Kioto, Sapporo), The Death in The Nightingale and mezzo solo parts in Stravinsky’s Fables (Amsterdam, and WDR Symphony Orchestra Köln with Yucca Pekka Saraste, CD recording), Otrok (Boy) in The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh (Amsterdam), Sonetka in Lady Macbeth from Mtzensk (Rostropovich Festival, The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and Opéra de Monte-Carlo), Konchakovna in Prince Igor (Bolshoi Theatre Moscow), Azucena in Il Trovatore (Limoges, Reims), Third Wood Sprite in Dvořák’sRusalka, and Venus in Tannhäuser (Novosibirsk).
Since the 2012/13 season, she has been a soloist at Mariinsky Theatre St Petersburg and appeared as Fenena in Nabucco, Otrok (Boy) in The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, Polina in The Queen of Spades, Siébel in Faust, Page in Strauss’ Salome, and Grushenka in Smelkov’s The Brothers Karamazov.
Recent and upcoming engagements include Fortune Teller in Fiery Angel (Lyon) and Sonetka in Lady Macbeth from Mtzensk (Monte-Carlo) among the others.
She is the laureate of the VI International Opera Singers Contest Ravello, citta della musica andRiccardo Zandonai International Competition for Young Opera Singers in Italy.