Gulnara Shafigullina is born in 1985 in Krymsk (ex-USSR) and has lived in Chukotka in northeast Russia until she got 18 years old. There, she graduated at the music academy (classical piano and choreeography). Gulnara continued her education as a pianist in St. Petersburg at the music academy named after Rimsky-Korsakov and graduated in 2006. Then she studied classical piano at the Conservatory of St. Petersburg until 2009.
From 2003 until 2009 Gulnara also studied classical singing at the music academy for adults with Rimma Volkova, former first soprano of the Mariinsky Theater. Due to Rimma Volkova Gulnara became a professional singer. In 2013 Gulnara graduated 'cum laude' from the Conservatory of Amsterdam (classical singing) in the class of Sasja Hunnego. In 2010 Gulnara released two cds: ‘Russian-Italian dialogue’ with opera arias and ‘Gallery of Russian songs’ with Russian folk songs.
At the Opera aan Zee festival of 2011 and 2012 Gulnara has sung among others the role of Tatjana from 'Jevgeni Onegin' by P. Tsjaikovski. In September 2011 Gulnara sang the role of Violetta from Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’ during the celebration of the 25 years anniversary of the Muziektheater Amsterdam. In September 2011 Gulnara was selected for the IVC Bel Canto Summer School with Nelly Miricioiu (soprano), William Matteuzzi (tenor), David Parry (conductor) and Luca Gorla (pianist, opera coach).
After singing Hans Kox's 'Aussagen' at the Haarlem Philharmony, in March 2012 Gulnara sang the premiere of Hans Kox’s ‘Lalage’s Monologues’ for soprano, violin and piano. In July 2012 Gulnara was admitted to the Georg Solti Accademia di Bel Canto 2012 with Angela Gheorghiu, Richard Bonynge en Dennis O’Neill.
In May 2013, Gulnara made her UK debut with the London Philharmonia Orchestra at the Newbury Festival in 2013, singing a Verdi-Wagner gala conducted by David Parry. She also performed at the Olympus Festival at the Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg with the Symphonic Orchestra of Cappella Taurida.
Her future opera engagements include covering 9 performances of Borodin's 'Prince Igor' with the role of Yaroslavna at the Metropolitan Opera New York beginning of 2014 and performing the roles of Liu in Puccini's 'Turandot' and Foreign Princess in Dvorzak's 'Rusalka' at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile, season 2014/2015.
Gulnara won several international singing competitions: the first prize at the 13th International Festival 'hope, talents, masters' (Bulgaria) in 2008, the second prize at the Monserrat Caballé International Singing Competition in 2012 and the first Opera Prize at the International Vocal Competition (IVC) in Den Bosch in 2012. Gulnara participated in masterclasses of Aleksandrina Miltcheva (Bulgarian opera singer), Dragomir Nenov (Bulgarian conductor and composer), Udo Reinemann (German bariton) and Alexander Oliver (English tenor and artistic director of the Opera Academy Amsterdam).
During last six years Gulnara has performed in Russia, Austria, Germany, UK and the Netherlands. Her repertoire consists of many solo programs with more than 100 scenes and arias from operas, classical songs of Russian and European composers and Russian folk songs. Gulnara has a lyrical, rich, warm, smooth and expressive voice with a wide range (coloratura) and she developed a very personal style in the traditions of Belcanto singing.