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Anna Netrebko, 2005

Anna Yur’yevna Netrebko (Russian: Анна Юрьевна Нетребко; born September 18, 1971 (1971-09-18) (age 37) in Krasnodar, Russia) is a Russian-Austrian 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)¹. 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.² 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 July³. 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.⁴

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.⁵

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.⁶ Their first son Tiago Aruã Schrott was born on 5 September 2008 in Vienna.⁷

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 Peace⁸. 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,⁹¹⁰ 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 30 May 2007, Netrebko made her Carnegie Hall debut with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Originally scheduled for 2 March 2006, Netrebko postponed the recital because she did not feel artistically ready.¹¹

Netrebko performed at the Last Night of the Proms on 8 September 2007.¹² 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 DiDonato 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.¹³

Recorded works

In 2003, Netrebko released her first studio album, Opera Arias, which became one of the best selling classical recordings of the year^{citation needed}. 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 2007, she released Duets with Rolando Villazón, and recorded a track with world famous violin player, Joshua Bell. In November 2008, she released her fourth album for Deutsche Grammophon, a collection of songs entitled "Souvenirs".

Discography

• Opera Arias
• Duets (with Villazon)
• Sempre Libera
• The Russian Album
• Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart)*recorded live from the Salzburg Festival
• La Boheme (Puccini) *recorded in Concert
• La Traviata (Verdi) *live from the Salzburg Festival
• Le Nozze di Figaro DVD
• La Boheme DVD
• La Traviata DVD
• I Puritani (Bellini) DVD
• L'Elisir d'Amore (Donizetti) DVD
• Betrothal in a Monastery (Prokofiev)DVD
• Souvenirs

Recognitions and awards

Time Magazine placed her on its Time 100 list in 2007.¹⁴ She was identified by the journal Musical America as “a genuine superstar for the 21st century” and was named 'Musician of the Year' for 2008.¹⁵

She was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation (2004)¹⁶ and was made a People's Artist of Russia by President Putin in 2008.

Playboy magazine placed her in their "sexiest babes of classical music" list.¹⁷

Netrebko has also won two prestigious Classical BRIT Awards: the 2007 Singer of the Year Award and the 2008 Female of the Year.

References

1. ^ Melissa Whitworth, "Cinderella Soprano". Telegraph, 19 February 2006.
2. ^ Jessica Duchen, " Anna Netrebko: A rare jewel from the East". The Independent, 6 November 2006.
3. ^ ORF.at, 26 July 2006. (in German, Google translation)
4. ^ Galina Stolyarova, "National Treasure". Moscow Times, 26 May 2006
5. ^ Anna Netrebko profile, SOS Children's Villages
6. ^ Anna Netrebko Announces Her Pregnancy
7. ^ "Anna Netrebko brachte Buben zur Welt" (in German). ORF (5 September 2008). Retrieved on 2008-09-06.
8. ^ Peter Culshaw, "'Justin Timberlake is too young for me'". Telegraph, 26 October 2006.
9. ^ Rich, Alan (2005-01-30). "Romeo et Juliette". Variety. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
10. ^ Mermelstein, David (2005-02-02). "A 'Romeo et Juliette' that sizzles with passion". Daily News, Los Angeles / The Free Library. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
11. ^ AP via San Francisco Chronicle "Russian Soprano Debuts at Carnegie Hall" May 30, 2007
12. ^ Last Night of the Proms: program bbc.co.uk/proms
13. ^ "Anna Netrebko Is Expecting". The New York Times (5 February 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
14. ^ Porterfield, Christopher (2007). "Anna Netrebko". TIME Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
15. ^ Elliott, Susan (6 November 2007). "Musical America Announces 2008 Awards". Musical America. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
16. ^ Президент России
17. ^ http://www.playboy.com/worldofplayboy/features/classical-babes/results.html?pollid=3315&submit.x=138&submit.y=21&submit=go

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