MEET VICTORIA
Soprano, storyteller, and unapologetic spellcaster of the stage.
Dynamic soprano Victoria Popritkin joins Indiana University's Artist Diploma program at the Jacobs School of Music Fall 2026, where she will be starring as the striking Elettra in Mozart's Idomeneo. Victoria debuted with IU last year as Aunt Norris in Dove’s Mansfield Park and as the soprano soloist in Schubert's epic Mirjams Siegesgesang. She is also a recent graduate of Binghamton University’s Master's program in Opera Performance.
Victoria made her professional debut in 2024 with Tri-Cities Opera during their 75th anniversary season, first as the commanding First Lady in Mozart’s Magic Flute (in collaboration with the international light festival, LUMA), then as the flirtatious Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, both at the historic Forum Theatre. She also was a featured soloist in the company’s season finale event, Opera & Beer, two years in a row, performing both operatic and musical theatre repertoire.
In the summer of ‘25, Victoria was an Emerging Artist for Opera in the Ozarks’ 75th Anniversary year. Starring as the merry widow, Hanna Glawari, in Franz Lehár’s Die Lustige Witwe, she also performed in the comedic role of the Stepmother in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods and in the chorus of Bizet’s Carmen. At the 75th Anniversary Gala, she sang in the final scene from Wagner’s Das Rheingold as the Rhine maiden Wellgunde, with Leona Mitchell as Fricka and Mark Delavan as Wotan.
While at Binghamton, Victoria starred in the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica, earning praise for her expressive depth and vocal strength, as well as garnering laughs for her agile portrayal of Adele in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.
Spring 2026, Victoria won the prestigious Georgina Joshi Graduate Fellowship competition at IU to complete her Artist Diploma. During her first year in the IU Performance Diploma program, she also won the Donald Traub Memorial Award from The Society of Arts and Letters Indiana Chapter and was a Wilfred C. Bain Award finalist. Victoria received the Binghamton University Foundation Award and an Encouragement Award at the 2025 Laffont Competition (Indiana District), shortly after taking third place in the Emerging Artist Category at the 2024 Classical Singer Competition in Washington, D.C. Prior to these accolades, she sang in concert with the Binghamton University Philharmonic as winner of the 2023 Binghamton Concerto Competition, where she performed “No Word from Tom” from Igor Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress and “Senza Mamma” from Puccini’s Suor Angelica.
Equally comfortable with contemporary music, Victoria premiered Shawn Tairyu Head’s Soseki Mini Cycle with shakuhachi at the 2026 Pellegrini Festival of New Music and is working on a multi-movement mandolin quartet project at IU, titled the Diary of Damocles. Victoria premiered nine new vocal works during the span of her Masters degree, and many more in her undergraduate studies. She has sung and recorded for both New York City and Cincinnati Songslam, and performed with Hub New Music.
An avid song enthusiast, Victoria performed “Mignon Lieder” from Wolf’s Goethe Lieder and Rachmaninov’s Op. 38 on Shuichi Umeyama’s faculty recital. Original artworks were distributed at the recital, showcasing Victoria’s versatility and skills across mediums. Additionally, Victoria’s master’s recital, titled "Lost and Found," was an ambitious program exploring themes of identity, transformation, and belonging. Works by Cimara, Walker, Wolf, Satie, Weill, Poulenc and Rachmaninov, as well as a commission by Maksym Mahlay, were accompanied by original paintings tailored to each set of music.
In her undergraduate studies, performances at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music showcased Victoria's bold energy in her roles of Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), and the Spirit (Monteverdi's L'Orfeo). She also joined the renowned programs Classic Lyric Arts France and Italy, and earned repeat invitations to Québec’s Songe d’été en Musique Festival. Victoria was also a 2022 Songfest Young Artist in San Francisco.
Victoria graduated summa cum laude with honors from the University of Cincinnati with bachelor degrees in vocal performance and neuroscience on a full National Merit Finalist scholarship. Her interest in interdisciplinary work and leadership led to projects like performing music therapy and founding CCM’s first undergraduate Opera Club. She also received a CCMPower award and the ThreeArts’ celebrated 'Women in the Arts' grant, using the proceeds to further her pursuits as a multifaceted artist.
She is deeply indebted to her family, her coaches and collaborators Shuichi Umeyama and Tyler Tucker, and teachers Carol Vaness, Thomas Goodheart and Dr. Quinn Ankrum.