"Angela Gheorghiu, née Burlacu; born 7 September 1965) is a Romanian soprano, especially known for her performances in the operas of Puccini and Verdi, widely recognised by critics and opera lovers as one of the greatest sopranos of all time," the Wikipedia says.

"Embarking her career in 1990, she made her Royal Opera House and Vienna State Opera debuts in 1992, followed by New York's Metropolitan Opera debut in 1993. She was catapulted to international stardom after starring as Violetta in Verdi's La traviata at Covent Garden in 1994. Her signature roles include Mimì in La bohème, Magda in La rondine, the title roles in Tosca and Adriana Lecouvreur. She had performed frequently with French tenor Roberto Alagna, whom she first met in 1992 and married in 1996, in concerts and opera productions until their eventual divorce in 2013.

"Her voice is described as "...the most instantly recognizable and interesting soprano voice of our time. A liquid instrument of great lyrical beauty with gleaming spun-gold high notes, but a dark, vibrant contralto range, reminiscent of Maria Callas.",[2] and she is considered "the world's most glamorous opera star". She has made substantial discography primarily with EMI Classics (absorbed into Warner Classics in 2013) and Decca, and holds several Gramophone Awards and honorary doctorates."

"The most glamorous and gifted opera singer of our time (New York Sun), was born in the small Romanian town of Adjud. From early childhood it was obvious that she will become a singer, her destiny was music. She attended the Music High School in Bucharest and graduated from the National University of Music Bucharest. She studied with the remarkable music teacher Mia Barbu. Ms. Gheorghiu’s magnificent voice and dazzling stage presence have established her as a unique international opera superstar," the official website says.

"Superstar Angela Gheorghiu, the most glamorous and gifted opera singer of our time (New York Sun), was born in the small Romanian town of Adjud. From early childhood it was obvious that she will become a singer, her destiny was music. She attended the Music High School in Bucharest and graduated from the National University of Music Bucharest. She studied with the remarkable music teacher Mia Barbu. Ms. Gheorghiu’s magnificent voice and dazzling stage presence have established her as a unique international opera superstar.

"Angela Gheorghiu’s rise to international stardom began with her debut at London’s Royal Opera House in 1992, when she sang Mimì in La bohème. In the same year she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and at the Vienna State Opera. It was at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden that she first sang her much acclaimed Violetta in La Traviata in 1994, when for the first time in television and operatic history the BBC cleared out its schedules to broadcast the opera live. Since then Ms Gheorghiu has been in constant demand in opera houses and concert halls around the world: New York, London, Paris, Salzburg, Berlin, Tokyo, Rome, Seoul, Venice, Athens, Monte Carlo, Chicago, Philadelphia (with Philadelphia Orchestra), Sao Paolo, Los Angeles, Lisbon, Valencia, Baalbek, Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, Zürich, Vienna, Salzburg, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Prague, Montreal, Moscow, Taipei, San Juan, Ljubljana, Buenos Aires and others.

"All her CDs have received widespread critical acclaim and have been awarded many prizes such as Gramophone Awards, Diapason d’Or Awards, Choc du Monde de la Musique in France, Cecilia Prize in Belgium, Deutsche Schallplattenkritik-Preis in Germany, the Echo Award, the Italian Musica e dischi Foreign Lyric Production Award, the USA Critics’ Award etc. Mss Gheorghiu won the title of “Female Artist of the Year” at the Classical Brit Awards in 2001 and 2010."

"Ms. Gheorghiu was honoured with “La Medaille Vermeille de la Ville de Paris” and she was appointed an “Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres” and “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture. In December 2010 she was awarded the honorific title of “Doctor Honoris Causa” by the University of Arts in Iași (Romania) and the “Star of Romania”, the highest decoration given by the President of Romania," the angelagheorghiu.com says.

"In October 2012 she was conferred the “Nihil Sine Deo” royal decoration from His Majesty King Michael I for promoting Romanian cultural values abroad. In October 2014, Angela Gheorghiu was awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa honorary title from the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj Napoca (Romania). In October 2015, she received the European Cultural Award for Music, in Dresden, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the German reunification. In May 2017, Angela Gheorghiu is awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa title from the University of Bucharest.

"In February 2018, Angela Gheorghiu was honored in France with the Victoire d’Honneur Award at Les Victoires de la Musique Classique. In December 2018 Angela Gheorghiu is honoured in Italy with the prestigious Premio Puccini for her memorable worldwide Puccini interpretations. In October 2018, in London, she has launched her first autobiography – Angela Gheorghiu: A Life for Art, written together with Jon Tolansky."

"Grand of manner and demanding, but also generous and gregarious, taking grinning selfies for Instagram with everyone in the room, Gheorghiu is well known — and generally well liked, even by colleagues she exasperates — for being one of the few remaining divas in the larger-than-life, old-school mold of Geraldine Farrar, Maria Callas and Jessye Norman," the New York Times says.

"Old-school in the tumult that has tended to accompany her: cancellations, firings, willful behavior, a long marriage of ups and downs to the star tenor Roberto Alagna (until their divorce 10 years ago). And old-school in her voice, which as she was gaining renown was full and dark-hued, flexible and free to the top of its range.

"Ovations at the Met were a long way from small-town Adjud, Romania, where she was born in 1965 to a dressmaker mother and a train operator father. The Soviet-backed regime of Nicolae Ceausescu was then just beginning, an era that later informed her depiction in “Tosca” of life in early-19th-century Rome amid the repressive forces of the police chief Scarpia.

"As a child, she was obsessed with Leonard Bernstein’s television specials, and began to study voice seriously in her early teens.
“I was an opera singer, all my life, from the beginning,” she said. “It was so clear. I didn’t have a Plan B. Never, never. And for all my roles, from when I was 18, I had no teacher, no coach, no pianist. I am my own everything.”

"'The world’s most glamorous and gifted opera star' (New York Sun), Angela Gheorghiu’s magnificent voice and dazzling stage presence have established her as a unique opera superstar on the worldwide stage. Opera roles during the 2023/24 season include Mimì La bohème in her return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where she made her international debut in 1992. Elsewhere she performs numerous gala concerts and recitals worldwide, including an appearance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall," the Intermusica.com says.

"Gheorghiu debuted as Mimì for the Vienna State Opera (1992) and Metropolitan Opera (1993). She returned to the Royal Opera House in 1994, when she first sang her much acclaimed Violetta La traviata, and when for the first and last time in television and operatic history, the BBC cleared its schedule to broadcast the opera live. She has since appeared at the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls, her repertoire including, among others, Mimì, Violetta, Juliette Roméo et Juliette, Nedda Pagliacci, Adina L’elisir d’amore, Amelia Simon Boccanegra, title role Tosca, Magda La rondine, Marguerite Faust, Micaëla Carmen, Liù Turandot, Charlotte Werther and title role Adriana Lecouvreur.

"Gheorghiu has recorded extensively for EMI Classics/Warner Classics and Decca, and has received numerous international artistic honours, including La Médaille Vermeille de la Ville de Paris, the awards of Chevalier and Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the Nihil Sine Deo decoration from King Michael I of Romania, the European Cultural Award for Music, the Victoire d'Honneur Award, multiple Gramophone awards and twice the Female Artist of the Year award at the Classical BRIT Awards."

"Superstar Angela Gheorghiu, the most glamorous and gifted opera singer of our time, was born in the small Romanian town Adjud. From early childhood it was obvious that she will become a singer, her destiny was the music. She attended the Music School in Bucharest and graduated from the Bucharest Music Academy, where she studied with the remarkable music teacher Mia Barbu. Ms. Gheorghiu's magnificent voice and dazzling stage presence have established her as a unique international opera superstar," the Warner Classics says.

"Angela Gheorghiu was born in Romania. In 1992, she made her international debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, followed the same year by debuts at the Metropolitan Opera and the Wiener Staatsoper. Since then, she has graced the stages of the world's opera houses and concert halls, excelling both vocally and dramatically. Today, at the height of her career - and looking as glamorous as ever - she is widely recognised by critics and opera lovers as one of the great sopranos of all time.

"All her CDs have received widespread critical acclaim and have been awarded many prizes such as Gramophone Awards, Diapason d’Or Awards, Choc du Monde de la Musique in France, Cecilia Prize in Belgium, Deutsche Schallplattenkritik-Preis in Germany, the Echo Award, the Italian Musica e dischi Foreign Lyric Production Award, the USA Critics’ Award etc. Mrs Gheorghiu won the title of “Female Artist of the Year” at the Classical Brit Awards in 2001 and 2010."

"Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu made her Royal Opera debut in 1992 singing Mimì (La bohème). She shot to international fame in 1994 when she sang Violetta Valéry (La traviata) under Georg Solti for The Royal Opera. Her roles since for The Royal Opera have included Liù (Turandot), Micaëla (Carmen), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Juliette (Roméo et Juliette), Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Magda (La rondine), Nedda (Pagliacci), Amelia Grimaldi (Simon Boccanegra), Marguerite (Faust), Tosca and Adriana Lecouvreur," the Royal Opera House says.

"Gheorghiu was born in Adjud. She began singing at an early age and trained with Mia Barbu in Bucharest. She sings regularly for the world’s leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, New York, La Scala, Milan, Vienna State Opera, Liceu, Barcelona, and Paris Opéra, and in many concert performances worldwide. Her appearances in film include singing the title role in Benoît Jacquot’s Tosca, and Juliette (Roméo et Juliette). 

"Gheorghiu has recorded with EMI (now Warner) and DECCA. Her recent recordings include CDs of Verdi and Puccini arias and of Madama Butterfly (conducted by Antonio Pappano), four recent releases from Warner Classics including a 25th anniversary boxed set, the complete recitals and an album of verismo arias, and DVDs of Tosca, Adriana Lecouvreur and Faust with The Royal Opera."

"The Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu, born on 7 September 1965 in the small town of Adjud, certainly isn’t afraid to speak out. “I hate directors who want to express their own fantasies, forgetting about the characters. What they put on stage goes against both the story and the music.” She has attributed her outspokenness to her upbringing in Romania under the totalitarian regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu," the Interlude.hk says.

“Because I grew up in a country where there was no possibility of having an opinion, it makes me stronger now. Lots of singers are frightened about not getting invited back to an opera house if they speak out. But I have the courage to be, in a way, revolutionary. I want to fight for opera, for it to be taken seriously. Pop music is for the body, but opera is for the soul.”

"Brashness aside, let’s not forget, however, that many critics consider Gheorghiu “the most glamorous and gifted opera singer of our time.” She came from humble beginnings, as her father was a train driver and her mother a seamstress. Her younger sister Elena was an accomplished opera singer, and Angela once said, “Elena is more beautiful than I and sings even better.”

"Gheorghiu early realized her love of singing, and she was supported by her family in working toward a career in opera. She left home at age 14 to study at the Academy of Music in Bucharest and in 1990 made her debut as Mimi in Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème at the Cluj-Napoca National Romanian Opera," the Britannica says.



"Her international debut came in 1992 as Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, in London. Two years later Gheorghiu, an elegant and compelling artist, was praised as one of the great Violettas when she performed the role in Sir Georg Solti’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata at Covent Garden. Her performance (1993) in La Bohème for New York City’s Metropolitan Opera, a production that marked her U.S. debut, was highly praised by critics. She did not work with a teacher, subscribing to a philosophy of self-reliance, and was sometimes compared to the great coloratura soprano Maria Callas.

"Gheorghiu recorded numerous albums, including live performances of her roles and solo concerts, such as Puccini’s Il trittico (1999) and La rondine (2003) and Live from La Scala (2007). With compilations such as Arias (1996) and Diva (2004), she showcased her vocal range and versatility by singing selections from across the operatic canon. Her duet albums with Alagna, such as Duets and Arias (1996), also were popular. Gheorghiu filmed several performances, among them her turn as Violetta in Solti’s production of La traviata and her interpretation of Verdi’s Requiem Mass (2001). Films that achieved cinematic release, such as Tosca (2001), in which she took the title role, further widened her audience."

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