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Anna Netrebko music biography continued...

wanted to be an actress, but her voice teachers told her she'd have a better shot at singing. She went on to study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory for many years, and upon completing her schooling, she got a job cleaning at the Mariinsky Theater. At the same time, she auditioned for conductor Valery Gergiev, and won a role in the Kirov Opera as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro. She went on to sing many prominent roles with the Kirov, including Amina in La Sonnambula, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor. 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 also became known as an acclaimed interpreter of other Russian operatic roles, such as Marfa in The Tsar's Bride, and Natasha in Prokofiev's War and Peace—a role she played in 2002 at her Metropolitan Opera debut to international acclaim.



In 2003, Netrebko released her first studio album, Opera Arias, which became one of the bestselling classical records of the year. The Russian Album was released in 2006, accompanied by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Gergiev. The album reached the top ten in the German pop charts. In 2007, Netrebko released Duets with Rolando Villazón, and recorded a track with world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell. In November 2008, she released her fourth album for Deutsche Grammophon, a collection of songs entitled "Souvenirs" to much critical acclaim. Between her stellar performances and passionate recordings, it's no wonder she has also been described by Associated Press as "the reigning new diva of the 21st century".