The mezzo-soprano Maria Gortsevskaya was born in St. Petersburg, where she also received her musical education. After completing her studies in choral conducting, she turned to singing and in 1995 won the 1st prize at the International Competition in Verviers, Belgium. She made her operatic debut at the age of 19 at the Mariinsky Theatre as Fyodor in Boris Godunov.
Her international career has taken her to some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses and festivals, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, La Scala in Milan, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, and the Glyndebourne Festival. Among her most important roles are Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Olga (Eugene Onegin), and Dorabella (Così fan tutte). A close artistic collaboration links her with Maestro Daniel Barenboim, under whose direction she appeared in Eugene Onegin and Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen.
In addition to her operatic work, Maria Gortsevskaya is also active on the concert stage, performing with conductors such as Vladimir Jurowski and Vasiliy Sinaisky.
Since 2016, Maria Gortsevskaya has combined her stage career with teaching. As a vocal pedagogue, she places special emphasis on working with singers at the beginning of their careers. Many of her students now study at renowned German institutions such as the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and the Berlin University of Music (HfM); her students have already won prizes at international competitions. She also regularly gives masterclasses for international groups of students. Since the winter semester of 2025/26, she has been teaching at the International Music Academy Anton Rubinstein in Berlin.
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