Anna Netrebko

Anna Netrebko (b. 1971) is one of today's leading sopranos. Born in Russia her first professional contact with opera was as a floor cleaner (!) for the Mariinsky Theatre, home of the Kirov opera. However her subsequent audition for the Kirov was entirely successful and she made a number of acclaimed performances for the Kirov under the directorship of Valery Gergiev.

Netrebko made her American debut in the mid 90s, but her real rise to stardom came in the 2000s with sell-out concert recitals and a highly successful recording career with Deutsche Grammophon. On stage she has assumed the roles of opera's great heroines with consumate ease particularly those of Violetta in La traviata and Mimi in La boheme. She has an excellent working relationship with Mexican tenor Roland Villazon, with whom she has performed many of her celebrated sucesses. In April 2008 she married the Uruguayan baritone, Erwin Schrott.

Key Works: Gounod: Roméo et Juillette, Puccini: La boheme, Verdi: La traviata

Key Artists: Valery Gergiev, Roland Villazon