Anna Netrebko

Ukranian soprano Anna Netrebko performed as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni for the first time at the Salzburg Festival in 2002 and quickly captured the attention of the international community with her rich, dark voice. Born in 1971, she was trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and studied with Renata Scotto, but the rapid ascent of her career is due in large part to conductor Valery Gergiev, who helped her secure early roles with the Kirov Opera. At only 24, she made her American debut as Lyudmila in Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila with the San Francisco Opera and found herself on stage at the Met in 2002. Her simple, commanding collection of Opera Arias came one year after that debut, in 2003, followed by a collection of Russian songs that was widely popular. In 2007, she became the first opera singer to be placed on Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people.