When Russian mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina brought her signature portrayal of Carmen, the title role of Bizet’s fiery masterpiece, to the Met in the 2023–24 season, her powerful performances cemented her as one of opera’s most exciting young talents, hailed by The New Yorker for her “fresh, ferocious energy.” Ahead of her highly anticipated return to the Met stage this month to reprise her thrilling turn (through January 23), hear from Akhmetshina about the star-making moment and her approach to the irresistible heroine—a role she has sung to tremendous acclaim around the world.
Your portrayal of Carmen seems so authentic. What is it about her that resonates with you?
Aigul Akhmetshina: Carmen is so interesting because she’s all about freedom. She loves life, and living freely—and I too need freedom to be at my creative best. But she’s also controversial. In the story, women hate her because they cannot be anything like her, and men cannot control her because she’s so fearless.
And you seem fearless, both vocally and dramatically. How did you get so comfortable in the role?
Bizet wrote fantastic music for Carmen, and it just fits my voice, so it’s easy to sing. But I challenge myself to focus on the words. The difficulty with Carmen is living her every time I go on stage. When I first did this production, we dug into the psychology of the characters, and in the end it’s a story about traumatized people. I loved exploring how the characters related to one another, as well as learning more about why Carmen is the way she is, so that I can become her.
You’ve sung this role so many times: Are you still able to discover new aspects of the character or the music?
I am always finding new things about her and about myself. The funny thing about Carmen is that you can rehearse maybe 50 percent of it, but then you have to go on stage and be spontaneous. Every day I see her differently: Am I feeling flirty, or am I angry? And each time I open the score, I notice something new. Every little moment or detail helps me create Carmen.
How was your experience singing in the new-production premiere?
The first opera I ever saw was actually the old Met Carmen, which I found on YouTube when I was 14. So to sing on this stage, especially in the Live in HD transmission, which was a series that I watched a lot growing up—it’s still unbelievable to me. I remember watching these productions in HD and imagining myself singing at the Met, but I never thought that it would happen. Coming from a small town in the middle of nowhere, to be where I am, it still makes me very emotional.
Aigul Akhmetshina and Michael Fabiano in Carmen
Janai Brugger in Carmen
Christian Van Horn and Aigul Akhmetshina in Carmen
Company of Carmen
Company of Carmen
Michael Fabiano and Aigul Akhmetshina in Carmen
Janai Brugger and Michael Fabiano in Carmen
Company of Carmen
Company of Carmen
Susanne Burgess, Aigul Akhmetshina, and Briana Hunter in Carmen
Company of Carmen
Michael Fabiano and Aigul Akhmetshina in Carmen
Aigul Akhmetshina in Carmen
Aigul Akhmetshina in Carmen
Aigul Akhmetshina and Michael Fabiano in Carmen
