Young Russian mezzo bids for breakout stardom in Met’s new ‘Carmen’
By MIKE SILVERMAN
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Aigul Akhmetshina says she’s a fighter — and she’s had to be to make it to the Metropolitan Opera, where she leads a new production of Bizet’s “Carmen” opening on New Year’s Eve. The Russian mezzo has overcome multiple setbacks, including failures in vocal competitions, an auto accident that left her unable to sing for months, then staking her hopes on a trip to Moscow only to be told she wasn’t good enough for a conservatory scholarship. But the 27-year-old says that “when you have to prove that you own your place, that gives you extra strength.” She also credits supporters along the way.
