Soprano Irina Medvedeva is described as being a “flexible, supple, yet powerful soprano” (The Globe and Mail) and has been praised for having “a large voice with an astonishing range” (Opera Canada).

Past operatic engagements include Galatea in Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, the title role in Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen, Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème. Other operatic roles include La Fée in Viardot’s Cendrillon, Morgana in Handel’s Alcina, La Fée in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Le Feu and Le Rossignol in Ravel’s L'enfant et les Sortilèges and Florestine in the Canadian premiere of Milhaud’s La Mère Coupable. During Irina’s engagement as a Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist at the Vancouver Opera for the 2019-2020 season, she sang Annina in the mainstage production of La Traviata with the Vancouver Opera while covering Violetta Valéry, and Rosina in Rossini’s Barber of Seville. In the fall of 2022 Irina joined the New Opera Lyra in a production of Dracula, for their inaugural season.

Irina is one of the 2022 winners of the concerto competition at the University of Ottawa and will be performing Mozart’s “Exsultate Jubilate” with orchestra in 2022 with conductor Dinuk Wijeratne. She is also the 2018 winner of the Comic Opera Guild’s Harold Hugh Opera Competition, and has recorded Nina in Victor Herbert’s “Girl in the Spotlight” with the Comic Opera Guild of Michigan. 

Concert engagements include the soprano soloist in Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem and Vespers and in Purcell’s Ode to St. Cecilia. Irina recently gave a recital at the National Arts Center as part of the Fourth Stage Concert Series, has performed in “Play for Ukraine” as part of Ottawa Chamberfest, gave a recital of opera arias and duets with the Multicultural Arts for Schools and Communities (MASC), has sang in a concert with the Ottawa Pops Orchestra, and is member of the Ottawa based modular new music ensemble called Ensemble Allure.

Irina holds an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, and a Master's of Music degree from the University of Ottawa.