Anna Yur’yevna Netrebko (Анна Юрьевна Нетребко; born in Krasnodar, Russia) is a Russian operatic soprano who currently resides in Vienna.

Biography

While a student at the conservatory of Saint Petersburg, Netrebko worked as a floor cleaner and did odd jobs at St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre (home of the Kirov Opera). Later, she auditioned for the Mariinsky Theatre, where conductor Valery Gergiev recognized her from her prior work in the theater. He subsequently became her vocal mentor. Under Gergiev's guidance, Netrebko made her operatic stage debut at the Mariinsky as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro. She went on to sing many prominent roles with the Kirov Opera, including Amina in La Sonnambula, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor.

In March 2006, Netrebko applied to become an Austrian citizen, receiving her citizenship in late July. According to an interview in the Austrian weekly news, she will live in Vienna and Salzburg. This has led to some backlash in Russia. Netrebko cites the cumbersome and humiliating process of obtaining visas (as a Russian citizen) for her many performances abroad as the main reason for obtaining Austrian citizenship.

In March 2007, Netrebko announced that she would be an ambassador for SOS Children's Village in Austria, and be a sponsor for the Tomilino village in Russia.

Netrebko became engaged to Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott in late 2007. In February 2008, Netrebko announced that she and Schrott were expecting their first child later that autumn.

Performances

In 1995, the 24-year-old Netrebko made her American debut as Lyudmila in Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila at the San Francisco Opera. Following this successful performance, she became a frequent guest singer in San Francisco. She is known as an acclaimed interpreter of other Russian operatic roles, such as Natasha in Prokofiev's War and Peace, Louisa in Betrothal in a Monastery and Marfa in The Tsar's Bride. Netrebko has also made successful forays into bel canto and romantic roles such as Gilda in Rigoletto, Musetta in La bohème, Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Elvira in Bellini's I puritani.

In 2002, Netrebko made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Natasha in the Met premiere of War and Peace. In the same year, she sang her first Donna Anna at the Salzburg Festival's production of Don Giovanni, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. She also performed at the Russian Children's Welfare Society's major fund raiser, the "Petroushka Ball". She returned to the Ball in 2003 and 2006 and is an honorary director of the charity.

In 2003, Netrebko performed as Violetta in Verdi's La traviata in Munich, the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Los Angeles Opera, and Donna Anna at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Her second album, Sempre Libera, was released the following year. (During that same year, she made a cameo appearance in the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. She performed a portion of Sempre Libera, and was hailed by Queen Clarisse as "opera's newest rising star.") She sang a highly regarded Roméo et Juliette with Rolando Villazón, with whom she also performed in L'Elisir d'Amore in 2005. She later appeared as Violetta Valéry in La traviata at the Salzburg Festival, conducted by Carlo Rizzi, again with Villazón; and in 2008 she performed the same role at Covent Garden to triumphant acclaim, opposite Jonas Kaufmann and Dmitri Hvorostovsky in performances conducted by Maurizio Benini.

On May 30, 2007, Netrebko made her Carnegie Hall debut with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Originally scheduled for March 2, 2006, Netrebko postponed the recital because she did not feel artistically ready.

Netrebko performed at the Last Night of the Proms on 8 September 2007. In the fall of 2007 she reprised her role as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette at the Metropolitan Opera. In December 2007, Netrebko performed for Martin Scorsese, a 2007 Honoree, at the Kennedy Center Honors, and in May 2008 she made a much-awaited debut at the Paris Opera in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, with Joyce Di Donato as her Romeo.

Netrebko was scheduled to perform the role of Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor in October 2008 at the Metropolitan Opera, but due to her pregnancy she decided to drop out of the role which will now be sung by German Soprano Diana Damrau. However, she is still scheduled to sing the role in January and February of 2009; and in the next season's production of Manon at the Metropolitan Opera.

Recorded works

In 2003, Netrebko released her first studio album, Opera Arias, which became one of the best selling classical recordings of the year. The Russian Album was released in 2006, accompanied by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev. The album reached the top ten in the German pop charts. In March 2007, she released Duets with Rolando Villazón. In 2007 she recorded a track with world famous violin player, Joshua Bell.

Recognitions and awards

Time Magazine placed her on its Time 100 list in 2007. She was identified by the journal Musical America as “a genuine superstar for the 21st century” and was named 'Musician of the Year' for 2008.

She was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation (2004) and was made a People's Artist of Russia by President Putin in 2008.

References

External links

• Official website
• Reviews, articles, photos and future schedules for Anna Netrebko from The Opera Critic
• Profile of Netrebko in the New York Times
• Anna Netrebko at the Internet Movie Database