Arkhipova, Irina (1925– )

Russian mezzo. She made her debut with the Bolshoi, in Moscow, in 1956 as Carmen, and has also sung Eboli and Amneris there. She appeared at La Scala in 1965 with the Bolshoi Company as Marfa and Marina and sang Azucena at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, in 1975, returning as Ulrica in 1988. She was the Countess in The Queen of Spades at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1992. Other roles included Charlotte and Prokofiev's Helen.