Russian mezzo-soprano Elena Manistina studied at the music conservatory in her hometown of Saratov and later at the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory. In 2002, she won first prize at the Operalia Competition and made her stage debut as Marfa in Khovanshchina in Saratov.

She has enjoyed great success as Ulrica (Un ballo in maschera) at venues including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Opéra National de Bordeaux, Oviedo Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Opéra national du Rhin, the Opéra Bastille, and the Teatro Municipal di Santiago.

She has also appeared regularly as Azucena (Il trovatore) at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Bavarian State Opera, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Washington Opera, the Opéra National de Paris, the Opéra Bastille, the Opéra National de Bordeaux, and the Opéra de Marseille.

She has performed Marina Mnishek (Boris Godunov) in London, Ježibaba (Rusalka) with the Canadian Opera Company, Mazeppa at the Monte-Carlo Opera, and Martha (Iolanta) and Lyubasha (The Tsar’s Bride) at Oper Frankfurt.