About Alla

Rooted in storytelling, music, and community. 

Alla Salakhova is a Russian-Canadian mezzo-soprano based in Edmonton, AB. Having recently completed her master's degree at the University of Maryland's Maryland Opera Studio (MOS), she is quickly establishing herself as an exciting emerging artist in both Canada and the United States.

In the 2026–2027 season, Alla joins Edmonton Opera as Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte, and makes her company debut with Ammolite Opera in their Gala.

With Maryland Opera Studio, she performed Ramiro in La finta giardiniera, Brittomara in Heggie/Scheer's If I Were You, Fisherman in the world premiere of Ashi Day's The Fishwife, and covered Frau Reich in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor. She also appeared in scenes as the Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos) and Paula (Florencia en el Amazonas), with the latter scene winning first place in the 2025–26 Robert Hansen Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition at the National Opera Association's national conference in Boston.

Recent engagements also include Prince Charmant in Massenet's Cendrillon with Comic (book) Opera, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Soo Opera, covering Mercédès in Carmen with Brott Opera, Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette with Bel Cantanti Opera, The Secretary in The Consul with Opera NUOVA, and Drusilla in L'incoronazione di Poppea with Opera NUOVA.                                                                       

Alla is a past Maryland District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and the student winner of Edmonton Opera’s Rumbold Vocal Prize.

A passionate interpreter of art song, Alla was a 2024 Art of Song Fellow with Toronto Summer Music, where she worked closely with Dame Sarah Connolly, Joseph Middleton, and Steven Philcox. That same summer, she also worked with Andreas Schmidt and Pumeza Matshikiza at Internationale Sommerakademie Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, where she was selected as a finalist for the Prizewinners Concert.

​​Alla is a graduate of the University of Alberta (B.M. ’24), where she appeared in roles including Mrs. Northwind (Jonathan Dove's The Enchanted Pig, Canadian premiere), Orphée (Orphée aux enfers), Petermann (M. Choufleuri restera chez lui...), and covered Ruth (The Pirates of Penzance). She was the Winner of the 2023-24 Concerto Competition with Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. During her undergraduate studies, Alla was also active in student leadership, where she discovered her passion for arts administration and leadership. Her roles included serving as President (2023–24) and Treasurer (2022–23) of UofA Opera Theatre, as well as Secretary (2021–22) for the Madrigal Singers, and was selected for the Association for Opera in Canada’s 2023–24 Opera Artist Resilience (OAR) Program, where she role-studied the titular role in Orphée and completed a mentorship in administration with Edmonton Opera. She also served as Program Assistant for the Banff Centre’s Opera in the 21st Century program, contributing administratively and preparing surtitles for productions.