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The young soprano Anna Netrebko became an overnight sensation in the music world with her triumphant debut at San Francisco Opera as Lyudmila in Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila in 1995. Since those performances, she has been engaged by leading opera houses and symphony orchestras around the world. Her beautiful, dark, and distinctive voice together with her elegant and alluring stage presence have garnered both popular and critical acclaim, and prompted one critic to write: “[H]ere is a singer who simply has it all: a voice of astounding purity, precision and scope, extensive dynamic and tonal range, imagination, insight and wit – all combined with a dazzling charisma that makes it all but impossible to look away when she is performing.”
Anna Netrebko was born in Krasnodar, in the south of Russia, in September 18, 1971. Anna Netrebko confirmed her status as one of opera’s most important new stars with her sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002 as Natasha Rostova in performances of Prokofiev’s War and Peace, led by Valery Gergiev. These performances earned spectacular reviews, prompting one critic to call her "Audrey Hepburn with a voice." Anna Netrebko followed this success with her spectacular debut at the Salzburg Festival in her first performances as Donna Anna in the season-opening new production of Don Giovanni, under the direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt. The following season, audiences in Vienna saw her for the first time as Violetta Valery in La traviata at the Vienna Staatsoper. Of her first performance, Die Presse wrote, “With her Traviata she has now conquered the Vienna Staatsoper as well. It really isn’t a stretch to use the word ‘miracle.’ Here one singing actress brought together everything that opera fans could hitherto only dream of.” Anna Netrebko brought this same interpretation of Verdi’s heroine to Munich for her debut with the Bayerische Staatsoper in July 2003. The soprano has been a favorite of The Washington Opera, appearing there as Ilia in Idomeneo opposite Placido Domingo, Gilda in Rigoletto, and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. She made her debut with the Opera Company of Philadelphia as Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi. After her debut with San Francisco Opera in 1995, audiences there have seen her in numerous roles including, Ilia, Musetta in La boheme, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Nannetta in Falstaff, Louisa in Betrothal in a Monastery, and Marfa in Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride.
Anna Netrebko has also appeared with leading symphony orchestras around the world. In 2002 she made her debut at the Verbier Festival in a concert performance of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony under the direction of James Levine, and she returned the following season for performances of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. The soprano was first seen with the Maggio Musicale Festival in Florence in concerts of Bach’s Mass in b-minor, and she returned there for Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus. She appeared at the inaugural performances of the Moscow Easter Festival in concerts led by Valery Gergiev, and audiences in Italy first saw her at the Stresa Festival in a program of Mozart concert and opera arias. Anna Netrebko appeared with the San Francisco Symphony in performances of Handel’s Messiah, and she gave her critically-acclaimed United States recital debut to a sold-out audience in San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre.
Anna Netrebko begins the 2003-04 season with her return to Royal Opera, Covent Garden appearing as Donna Anna in the season-opening production of Don Giovanni. She then travels to Los Angeles for performances of the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor in her debut with Los Angeles Opera. The soprano returns to Europe for appearances as Violetta with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich under the direction of Zubin Mehta and as Donna Anna with the Vienna Staatsoper. Audiences in Japan see Anna Netrebko as Musetta in performances led by Seiji Ozawa, and she repeats this role in her return to San Francisco Opera. Her season continues with her return to the Verbier Festival in a concert performance of Rigoletto led by James Levine, and the soprano’s season ends with concert performances as Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Salzburg Festival.
In 2002, Anna Netrebko became an exclusive recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon. Her first solo recording was released in 2003 and immediately garnered popular and critical acclaim including editor’s choice awards in Gramophone Magazine and Opera News. In 1995 her performance as Lyudmila with the Kirov Opera was recorded for DVD and CD by Philips Classics. She can also be heard as Louisa in Betrothal in a Monastery and Ninetta in The Love for Three Oranges, both available on Philips Classics. Anna Netrebko has appeared on the pages of several music and fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, W Magazine, Harpers & Queen, Inquire, and many others. In 2003 she was announced as Opernwelt’s Female Singer of the Year.
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