site.btaOpera Star Anna Netrebko to Perform in Bulgaria for First Time

World-renowned soprano Anna Netrebko will perform in Bulgaria for the first time on March 20, 2025, at Arena Sofia, event organizers confirmed on Thursday. The opera gala, featuring the Sofia Philharmonic, will be conducted by Maestro Nayden Todorov.

"A soprano with star power in the best sense, a charismatic expressivity that pervades every element of her performance," Anthony Tommasini wrote in the New York Times, describing Netrebko.

Netrebko, who started her career in 1994, performed at major opera houses worldwide and participated in the Sochi Winter Olympics opening ceremony. She has a diverse and impressive repertoire, including operas by Mozart, Verdi, Bellini, Donizetti, Massenet, and Tchaikovsky.

Her most anticipated appearances this summer are in eight performances at La Scala with Turandot/Puccini beginning June 25 and three performances in August at Arena di Verona with Tosca/Puccini. Netrebko has three Grammy Award nominations, the German Bambi Award, the Classical Brit Awards Female Artist of the Year, and the 2020 Polar Music Prize.

In 2007, Anna Netrebko was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by the Times. She serves as a global brand ambassador for Chopard. Anna Netrebko will perform alongside her husband, Yusif Eivazov. Eivazov's voice, characterized as "metallic, stentorian and markedly Italianate", and his exceptional stage presence enable him to balance his active operatic career with frequent concert appearances.

Netrebko faced controversy after being dropped by a US opera house for refusing to renounce Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. Litigation is currently underway, with Netrebko claiming she has suffered "severe mental anguish and emotional distress" as a result of the termination.