Denis Zakirov was born in the city of Surgut (Tyumen Region). In 2006 he graduated from the Chelyabinsk State Academy of Culture and Arts (class of Genrietta Denisova).
In 2003–2009 he was a soloist with the Chelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, later becoming a soloist with the Krasnodar Music Theatre.
Since 2010 the singer has been a soloist with the St Petersburg Chamber Opera. With that ensemble, for appearing in productions of Faust and October ..17, he was awarded the St Petersburg City Government Prize in Culture and Arts in 2017.
At the Mariinsky Theatre Denis Zakirov made his debut in October 2018, performing the role of Arrigo in Verdi’s opera I vespri siciliani.
Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre:
Bogdan Sobinin (A Life for the Tsar)
Raimond (The Maid of Orleans, concert performance)
Gritsko (Sorochintsy Fair, chamber version)
Bobyl Bakula (The Snow Maiden)
Deacon (Christmas Eve)
An Indian Merchant (Sadko)
Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail)
Lindoro (L’italiana in Algeri)
Ramiro (La Cenerentola)
Count Libenskof (Il viaggio a Reims)
Sir Edgar Ravenswood (Lucia di Lammermoor)
Ernesto (Don Pasquale)
Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore)
Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto)
Arrigo (I vespri siciliani)
Don Alvaro (La forza del destino)
Rodolfo (La bohème)
Dick Johnson (La fanciulla del West)
Alfred (Die Fledermaus)
Hoffmann (Les Contes d’Hoffmann)
Gérald (Lakmé)
Has sung at premieres of new Mariinsky Theatre productions of The Snow Maiden (2020) and La Cenerentola (2024).
His repertoire also includes the roles of Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Vaudémont (Iolanta), Tsar Berendey (The Snow Maiden), Ivan Lykov (The Tsar’s Bride), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Beppe (Pagliacci), Nadir (Les Pêcheurs de perles) and the title part in Gounod’s Faust among others.
