VOLKONSKY, Zeneide

Princess Zinaida Aleksandrovna Volkonskaya (Russian: Зинаида Александровна Волконская), was a Russian writer, poet, singer, composer, salonist and lady-in-waiting. She was an important figure in 19th-century Russian cultural life. She performed in Paris and London as an amateur opera singer.

Volkonskaya was greatly skilled in the arts, and was known as a musician, poet, composer, and singer (specifically as a contralto). She wrote her own pieces, including an opera entitled Joan of Arc, and studied with renowned composers such as Boiledieu, while hosting musical salons and developing friendships with eminent figures such as Rossini.