Ileana Cotrubas is a Romanian operatic soprano who achieved international acclaim in a career that began in the 1970s and ended when she retired from public performances in 1990, although she continues on as a teacher. In a review of her performance as Violetta in Verdi's 'La Traviata' in 1981, the New York Times called her performance "transfixing" with "delirious brilliance" and said she was "a singing actress of great imagination and temperament".

Born in the city of Galati on the River Danube to a musical family, she was a soloist in a local radio choir as a child and went on to study music in Bucharest. Success in regional competitions led to appearances with the Hamburg State Opera, Berlin State Opera, Frankfurt Opera and the Salzburg Festival. She made her British debut at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1969 and in 1970 began a three-year stint with the Vienna State Opera and debuted at London's Royal Opera House in 1971. Her American debut came with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1973, she performed at Italy's La Scala in 1975 and debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1977 with José Carreras and Renata Scotto. Many of her recordings are available including 'Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata' (1997) with tenor Placido Domingo, baritone Sherrill Milnes and the Bayerisches Staatsorchester conducted by Carlos Kleiber.

Ileana Cotrubas

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