Marina Rebeka (born 10 September 1980) is a Latvian

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

, active on both opera and concert stages. Associated with Violetta in Verdi's '' La traviata'', she performs primarily in the 19th-century Italian and French repertoire, most notably works by Gioachino Rossini, in addition to Donna Anna in Mozart's ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'', another frequent role. Educated in Latvia and Italy, she made her professional debut in 2007. After her international breakthrough in Rossini's ''

Moïse et Pharaon Moise is a given name and surname, with differing spellings in its French and Romanian origins, both of which originate from the name Moses: Moïse is the French spelling of Moses, while Moise is the Romanian spelling. As a surname, Moisè and Mo ...

'' at the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

in 2009, she has been performing leading roles with many opera companies, such as the

Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by ...

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

, and

Latvian National Opera The Latvian National Opera and Ballet (LNOB) is an opera house and opera company at Aspazijas boulevard 3 in Riga. Its repertoire includes performances of opera and ballet presented during the season which lasts from mid-September to the end of ...

. Rebeka has been recording under her own label "Prima Classic" since 2018. She had previously recorded for

Warner Classics Warner Classics is the classical music arm of Warner Music Group. The label began issuing new recordings under the Warner Classics banner in 1991. The company also includes the Erato Records and Teldec Records labels. Based in France, Warner Cla ...

and BK-Klassik.

Early life and background

Rebeka was born in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

, to Belarusian father and Siberian-born Latvian mother. The family name used to be Rebeko but was changed to Rebeka during the Soviet era; the name was first adopted by her paternal grandfather. Rebeka's maternal grandfather, Juris Jankovičs (1924–2019), was deported to Siberia with his family on 14 June 1941 and only returned more than twenty years later. He detailed his camp experience in two books: ''Skorpiona slazdā'' ('Scorpio trap', 2009) and ''Spīta krustceles'' ('Despite the crossroads', 2012), both published under the auspices of the

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia () is a museum and historic educational institution located in Riga, Latvia. It was established in 1993 to exhibit artifacts, archive documents, and educate the public about the 51-year period in the 20th cen ...

. She studied at the Grammar School of Nordic Languages. After attending a performance of Bellini's ''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) ** Norma Lizbeth Ramos, a Mexican bullying victim Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral ...

'' at the

Dailes Theatre The Dailes Theatre () is a professional Latvian theater founded by Latvian director and actor Eduards Smiļģis (1886-1966) on November 19, 1920 at the Craftsmen Relief Society House at Lāčplēša Street 25, Riga, Latvia. Today, it is located ...

with her parents at the age of 13 she was inspired to become a singer. Having no prior knowledge, she then began her initial musical studies at the music school "Rīdze" in the evening, concurrent to her Gymnasium studies. At the age of 17, after rejected by the

Latvian Academy of Music Latvian may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Latvia **Latvians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to what is modern-day Latvia and the immediate geographical region **Latvian language, also referred to as Lettish **Latvian cuisine **Latvi ...

, she entered the Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Music High School (), studying under Natālija Kozlova. She subsequently went to Italy, studying at the Conservatorio Arrigo Boito in Parma, during which she had her first stage experience in ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( ) is an ''opera buffa'' (comic opera) in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's French comedy ' ...

'' (Rosina) for a children audience, and then graduated at the Accademia Internazionale delle Arti in Rome (2006), and

Conservatorio Santa Cecilia The Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia is a state conservatory in Rome. History The institution has its roots dated back to the Congregazione de' musici di Roma named after Saint Cecilia in 1565 (now Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia). Si ...

(2007). She had also attended

Grace Bumbry Grace Melzia Bumbry (January 4, 1937 – May 7, 2023) was an American opera singer, considered one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, who also ventured to soprano roles. She belonged to a pioneering generation of African-American c ...

's masterclass at the International Summer Academy at the

Mozarteum University Salzburg Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the "Mozarteum" name in Salzburg municipality; the International Mozarteum ...

Career

Rebeka made her professional debut in 2007 at the

Theater Erfurt The Theater Erfurt is a German municipal theatre located in Erfurt, the capital of Thuringia. The main stage is in a building in the Brühlervorstadt, completed in 2003. The theatre offers musical theatre and concerts, played by the Philharmonisc ...

as Violetta in '' La traviata'', a role in which she would later sing at the

Vienna Volksoper The Vienna Volksoper (''Volksoper'' or ''Vienna People's Opera'') is an opera house in Vienna, Austria. It produces three hundred performances of twenty-five German language productions of opera, operetta, musicals, and ballet, during an annual s ...

and

Finnish National Opera The Finnish National Opera and Ballet (; ) is a Finnish opera company and ballet company based in Helsinki. It is headquartered in the Opera House on the coast of the Töölönlahti bay in Töölö, which opened in 1993, and is state-owned throu ...

. Also in 2007, she participated

Alberto Zedda Alberto Zedda (2 January 19286 March 2017) was an Italian conductor and musicologist whose specialty was the 19th-century Italian repertoire. Alberto Zedda was born in Milan, Italy, where he accomplished his education in music and humanities, comp ...

's Accademia Rossiniana, portraying Folleville and Madama Cortese in ''

Il viaggio a Reims ''Il viaggio a Reims, ossia L'albergo del giglio d'oro'' (''The Journey to Reims, or The Hotel of the Golden Fleur-de-lis'') is an operatic dramma giocoso, originally performed in three acts,Janet Johnson: ''A Lost Masterpiece Recovered'', pp. 37 ...

'' at the

Rossini Opera Festival The Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) is an international music festival held in August of each year in Pesaro, Italy, the birthplace of the opera composer Gioachino Rossini. Its aim, in addition to studying the musical heritage of the composer, is to re ...

, where she returned for ''

Maometto II ''Maometto II'' (or ') is an 1820 opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Cesare della Valle. Set in the 1470s during a time of war between the Turks and Venetians, the work was commissioned by the Teatro di San Carlo i ...

'' (2008), ''

Stabat Mater The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Christian hymn to the Virgin Mary that portrays her suffering as mother during the crucifixion of her son Jesus Christ. Its author may be either the Franciscan friar Jacopone da Todi or Pope Innocent III.Saba ...

'' (2010). Other engagements include Agilea in ''

Teseo ''Teseo'' ("Theseus", HWV 9; ) is an opera seria with music by George Frideric Handel, the only Handel opera that is in five acts. The Italian-language libretto was by Nicola Francesco Haym, after Philippe Quinault's '' Thésée''. It was Ha ...

'' (

Komische Oper Berlin The Komische Oper Berlin is a German opera company based in Berlin. The company produces operas, operettas and musicals. The opera house is located on Behrenstraße, near Unter den Linden. Since 2004, the Komische Oper Berlin, along with the Be ...

), Britten's ''

War Requiem The ''War Requiem'', Op. 66, is a choral and orchestral composition by Benjamin Britten, composed mostly in 1961 and completed in January 1962. The ''War Requiem'' was performed for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, in the Englis ...

'' ( Liverpool Philharmonic), Tatyana in ''

Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...

'' (

Teatro Lirico di Cagliari The Teatro Lirico di Cagliari is an opera house in Cagliari. It is the main theatre of the city. The Teatro Lirico was built in order to provide a large theatre to the city. After the destruction of the ''Teatro Civico'', damaged by the shelli ...

), Brahms' ''

Ein deutsches Requiem ''A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scriptures'', Op. 45 () by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, and soprano and baritone soloists, composed between 1865 and 1868. It comprises seven movements, which together l ...

'' (

Latvian National Symphony Orchestra The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO; ) is a Latvian orchestra based in Riga. Its primary performance venue is the Great Guild Hall in Riga. In addition to regular symphonic concerts, the orchestra also broadcasts and records. H ...

). In 2009, she sang Adina in ''

L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's (1831). ...

'' in Riga, and made her

La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...

debut in ''Il viaggio a Reims'', before portraying Elettra in Mozart's ''

Idomeneo (Italian for ''Idomeneus, King of Crete, or, Ilia and Idamante''; usually referred to simply as ''Idomeneo'', Köchel catalogue, K. 366) is an Italian-language opera seria by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Vares ...

'' at the

Opéra national de Lorraine The Opéra national de Lorraine is a French opera company and opera house, located in the city of Nancy, France in the province of Lorraine, France. Formerly named the ''Opéra de Nancy et de Lorraine'', the company received the status of nati ...

. Her international breakthrough came when she made her

debut in 2009 in Rossini's ''

'' conducted by

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He is current music director of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the ...

. She sang in ''War Requiem'' with the

Royal Scottish National Orchestra The Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) () is a Scottish orchestra, based in Glasgow. It is one of the five national performing arts companies of Scotland. Throughout its history, the Orchestra has played an important part in Scotland’s ...

, at the

Usher Hall The Usher Hall (Scottish Gaelic: ''Talla Usher'') is a concert hall in the West End of Edinburgh, Scotland. The hall is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council, and has hosted concerts and events since its construction in 1914. Th ...

on 30 April 2010. In May and June, she performed Micaëla in ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

'' in Baden-Baden (dir.

Teodor Currentzis Teodor Currentzis ( ; born 24 February 1972) is a Greek and Russian conductor, musician and actor. Biography Currentzis was born in Athens, and at the age of four began to take piano lessons. At age seven, he began violin lessons. He entered ...

), and Valencia (dir.

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

). In July 2010, she made her

Royal Opera, London The Royal Opera is a British opera company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Along with English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent G ...

debut by replacing

Angela Gheorghiu Angela Gheorghiu (; ; 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. Embarking ...

in ''La traviata''; she only returned to replace

Sonya Yoncheva Sonya Yoncheva (; born 25 December 1981) is a Bulgarian operatic soprano, producer and founder of SY11 Productions company and Bulgarian Artist magazine. Early life Yoncheva was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She studied piano and voice at the Nation ...

in the same production in 2015. Later in the year, she sang her first Donna Anna in ''

'' in

Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is a German opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin. The resident building is the country's second largest opera house (after Munich's) and also home to the Berlin State Ballet. Since 2004, the ...

's new production, and was featured in a new staging of ''Moïse et Pharaon'' at the

Teatro dell'Opera di Roma The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (Rome Opera House) is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat ''Costanzi Theatre'', it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements. The pres ...

conducted by Muti. Rebeka performed in Rossini's ''Stabat Mater'' with the

NDR Sinfonieorchester The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra () is a German radio orchestra. Affiliated with the ''Norddeutscher Rundfunk'' (NDR; North German Broadcasting), the orchestra is based at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany. Earlier the ensemble was call ...

in April 2011. In October 2011, she made her

debut in

Michael Grandage Michael Grandage Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 2 May 1962) is a British theatre director and producer. He is currently artistic director of the Michael Grandage Company. From 2002 to 2012 he was artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse ...

's new production of ''Don Giovanni'', and subsequently performed in another ''Moïse et Pharaon'', presented by Collegiate Chorale, at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

. The year 2012 saw her performances in Riga: two solo concerts on 15 January and 28 September, and role debut as Lucia in ''

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...

''. She returned to Berlin for Violetta, and then repeated the role in Florence. Later in the year, she made her

debut with Donna Anna, and returned in consecutive seasons for ''Don Giovanni'', ''La traviata'', ''

The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in ...

'' (Antonia), and ''

Roméo et Juliette ''Roméo et Juliette'' (, ''Romeo and Juliet'') is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on ''Romeo and Juliet'' by William Shakespeare. It was first performed at the Théâtre Ly ...

'' (Juliette). She sang in two ''

William Tell William Tell (, ; ; ; ) is a legendary folk hero of Switzerland. He is known for shooting an apple off his son's head. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albrecht Gessler, ...

'' premiere productions in 2013:

Pierre Audi Pierre Audi (9 November 1957 – 3 May 2025) was an English-Lebanese theatre director and artistic director. Early life Audi was born on 9 November 1957, the eldest of three children born to Lebanese banker Raymond Audi and Andrée Michel Fatt ...

's at

De Nederlandse Opera The Dutch National Opera (DNO; formerly De Nederlandse Opera, now De Nationale Opera in Dutch) is a Dutch opera company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its present home base is the Dutch National Opera & Ballet housed in the Stopera building, a m ...

, and

Graham Vick Sir Graham Vick (30 December 1953 – 17 July 2021) was an English opera director known for his experimental and revisionist stagings of traditional and modern operas. He worked in many of the world's leading opera houses and was artistic di ...

's at the Rossini Opera Festival, which was followed by her first Juliette (

Verona Arena The Verona Arena is a Roman amphitheatre located in the historic center of Verona, an iconic symbol of the Venetian city alongside the figures of Romeo and Juliet. It stands as one of the grand structures that defined Roman architecture and ...

). She made her

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox (Chicago opera), Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, w ...

debut in ''La traviata,'' and returned for

Robert Falls Robert Falls (born March 2, 1954) is an American theater director and the former artistic director of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Biography Early years Robert Arthur Falls was born March 2, 1954, in Springfield, IL to Arthur J ...

' new ''Don Giovanni'', which opened the 2014/15 season. In May 2013, she made her

Zürich Opera House The Zurich Opera House () is an opera house in the Swiss city of Zurich. Located at the Sechseläutenplatz, it has been the home of the Zurich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zürich. It is also home to Ballett Zürich. I ...

debut in Donna Anna, returning in the 2013/14 season for Donna Anna, Leïla (''

Les pêcheurs de perles ' (, ''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performan ...

''), and Fiordiligi (''

Così fan tutte (''Women are like that, or The School for Lovers''), Köchel catalogue, K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written ...

''), in the 2015/16 season for Violetta and Vitellia (''

La clemenza di Tito (''The Clemency of Titus''), K. 621, is an ''opera seria'' in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio. Mozart completed the work in the midst of composing ''Die Zauberfl ...

''). In 2014, she performed in ''

'' in Rome, and a new ''William Tell'' production at the Bavarian State Opera, where she would sing ''Così fan tutte'' and ''Don Giovanni'' in the next two seasons. Later in the year, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera for Violetta and the following Musetta (''

La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

''). In 2015, Rebeka sang Liù in a concert performance of ''

Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...

'' in Riga, and Rossini's ''Stabat Mater'' at the

Rheingau Musik Festival The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...

. She later joined the

Radio Filharmonisch Orkest The Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (''Radio Philharmonic Orchestra''; Dutch abbreviation RFO) is a Dutch radio orchestra, based in Hilversum. The RFO performs under the aegis of the ''Muziekcentrum van de Omroep'' (Broadcasting Music Centre; NMBC), a ...

in concerts at the

TivoliVredenburg The TivoliVredenburg is a contemporary music complex located in Utrecht, Netherlands. The venue consists of five halls designed acoustically for a specific music genre. Along with its hall, the venue also features an "amateur stage" and a cafe. ...

and

Concertgebouw Concertgebouw may refer to one of the following concert halls: * Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands * Concertgebouw, Bruges, Belgium * Concertgebouw de Vereeniging, Netherlands {{disambiguation Buildings and structures disambiguation pages ...

. She returned to Latvia for a concert program on 14 November 2015 as part of the opening of the

Great Amber Concert Hall The Great Amber Concert Hall () is a concert hall, cultural and arts centre in Liepāja, Latvia. The building features a cone-shaped structure, enveloped by a tilted glazed facade. The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra is a resident of the concert ha ...

. The year 2016 saw her debut in various roles: Mimì in ''La bohème'' (

Mannheim National Theatre The Mannheim National Theatre () is a theatre and opera company in Mannheim, Germany, with a variety of performance spaces. It was founded in 1779 and is one of the oldest theatres in Germany. History In the 18th century Mannheim was the cap ...

), title role in ''

'' (

Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi The Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi is an opera house located in Trieste, Italy and named after the composer Giuseppe Verdi. Privately constructed, it was inaugurated as the Teatro Nuovo to replace the smaller 800-seat "Cesareo Regio Teatro di San P ...

in Trieste), Ginevra in ''

Ariodante ''Ariodante'' ( HWV 33) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The anonymous Italian libretto was based on a work by Antonio Salvi, which in turn was adapted from Canti 4, 5 and 6 of Ludovico Ariosto's ''Orlando Furioso''. E ...

'' (

Lausanne Opera The Lausanne Opera is an opera house based in Lausanne, Switzerland. With a stage renovation in 2012, the Lausanne Opera offers a wide variety of operas, from baroque to contemporary, along with concerts and ballets. History The opening cer ...

). In summer, she performed in Mozart's ''Idomeneo'' in Audi Sommerkonzerte, ''La traviata'' in NDR Klassik Open Air, and replaced

in concert performances of ''

Thaïs Thaïs (; ; ) was a Greek who accompanied Alexander the Great on his military campaigns. Likely from Athens, she is most famous for having instigated the burning of Persepolis, the capital city of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, after it was con ...

'' at the

, debuting in the title role against

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

. In October 2016, she returned to the Met for Pierre Audi's production of ''

'', and sang her first Donna Elvira (''Don Giovanni'') in the same season. In 2017, she debuted in ''

Maria Stuarda ''Maria Stuarda'' (Mary Stuart) is a tragic opera (''tragedia lirica''), in two acts, by Gaetano Donizetti, to a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari, based on Andrea Maffei's translation of Friedrich Schiller's 1800 play '' Maria Stuart''. The opera ...

'', first in three concert performances in Latvia, then a staged production in Rome. She was rejoined by Domingo in performances of ''La traviata'', at the

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (, ; anglicised as " Queen Sofía Palace of the Arts") is an opera house, performing arts centre, and urban landmark designed by Santiago Calatrava to anchor the northwest end of the City of Arts and Sciences in Vale ...

, Plácido Domingo Classics in

Pécs Pécs ( , ; ; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Päťkostolie''; also known by #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the c ...

(festival dedicated to the singer), and

Astana Opera Astana Opera () is an opera house in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the basis of an executive order of Nursultan Nazarbayev. History of design and construction The design has been partially made by Nursultan Nazarbayev, and the construction began on 6 ...

. In the 2017/18 season she was named the first-ever artist-in-residence by the

Münchner Rundfunkorchester The Munich Radio Orchestra (German: ''Münchner Rundfunkorchester'') is a German symphony broadcast orchestra based in Munich. It is one of the two orchestras affiliated with the Bavarian Radio (Bayerischer Rundfunk), the other being the Bavaria ...

. They collaborated in three concerts: ''

Luisa Miller ''Luisa Miller'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play '' Kabale und Liebe'' (''Intrigue and Love'') by the German dramatist Friedrich von Schiller. Verdi's initial idea f ...

'' in concert version, New Year's Eve Gala, and "Vive l'opera" concert.

Marriage

Rebeka met Ukrainian tenor Dmytro Popov during ''L'elisir d'amore'' in Riga in 2009. They married in 2010 and their daughter, Katrīna, was born on 12 March 2011. Their marriage had ended by the time they performed jointly in ''La traviata'' in Vienna in May 2016. Rebeka married Argentine sound engineer Edgardo Vertanessian in 2018, and together they founded their own record label, Prima Classic.

Awards and honors

Rebeka has won prizes in the multiple competitions. *1st Prize at 4th Concorso Internazionale di Canto Lirico Premio Capriole in

Franciacorta Franciacorta () is a historical region in the Province of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy, with a population of around 158,249. It is known for its wine production and includes world-famous producers such as Berlucchi, Bellavista and Ca' del Bosco. Th ...

*1st Prize and Public Prize at 5th Concorso Lirico Internazionale

Ottavio Ziino Ottavio Ziino (11 November 1909 – 1 February 1995) was an Italian composer, conductor and academic. Life and career Born in Palermo, Ziino graduated in composition from the Palermo Conservatory, and specialized at the Accademia Nazionale di S ...

in Rome *3rd Prize at Viñas International Singing Contest in Barcelona *1st Prize at 20th

Neue Stimmen Neue Stimmen (''New Voices'') is an international singing competition. It was established in 1987 on the initiative of Liz Mohn with the support of August Everding to promote opera's young talent. It is considered an important forum for new t ...

of the

Bertelsmann Stiftung The Bertelsmann Stiftung is an independent Foundation (nonprofit), foundation under private law, based in Gütersloh, Germany. It was founded in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn as the result of social, corporate and fiscal considerations. The foundati ...

in October 2007 In 2009, she was awarded the "Outstanding Artistic Achievements" award in the annual

Latvijas Gāze A/S Latvijas Gāze is a Latvian natural gas company, which deals in the importation and sale of natural gas. Latvijas Gāze is owned by Gazprom (34%), Rietumu Bank (28.97%), Uniper Ruhrgas International (18.26%) and Itera-Latvija (16%). In ...

Awards from the

. She was appointed Commander of the

Order of the Three Stars Order of the Three Stars () is the highest civilian order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is ''Per aspera ad astra'', meaning "Through hardships towards the ...

for her cultural achievements; the investiture was performed by president

Raimonds Vējonis Raimonds Vējonis (born 15 June 1966) is a Latvian politician who served as the 9th President of Latvia from 2015 to 2019 and the president of the Latvian Basketball Association since 2020. He is a member of the Latvian Green Party, part of the ...

on 6 December 2016. In December 2017, she won a silver medal in Global Music Awards for her Rossini album "Amor fatale". In 2020, she was named "Artist of the Year" by the

International Classical Music Awards The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) are music awards first awarded 6 April 2011. ICMA replace the Cannes Classical Awards (later called MIDEM Classical Awards) formerly awarded at MIDEM. The jury consists of music critics of magazines ...

Recordings

Her first solo CD, "Mozart Arias" with Speranza Scappucci and the

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmo ...

, was released by EMI (Warner Classics) in November 2013. Her next album, "Amor fatale" – Rossini arias with Marco Armiliato and the

– was released in the summer of 2017 by BR-Klassik. Since 2018, she has been focusing her recording career on Prima Classic. *2013: Rossini: ''

Petite messe solennelle Gioachino Rossini's ''Petite messe solennelle'' (Little Solemn Mass) was written in 1863, possibly at the request of Count Alexis Pillet-Will for his wife Louise, to whom it is dedicated. The composer, who had retired from composing operas m ...

'',

Antonio Pappano Sir Antonio Pappano (born 30 December 1959) is an English-Italian conductor and pianist. He is currently music director of the Royal Opera House and chief conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Early life Pappano was born in Epping, Esse ...

(conductor), Orchestra e Coro della Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (EMI) *2013: Mozart: ''Opera arias'', Speranza Scappucci (conductor),

(Warner Music) *2015: Puccini: ''

'' Live at the Met (The Metropolitan Opera New York) *2015: Rossini:

Guillaume Tell William Tell (, ; ; ; ) is a legendary folk hero of Switzerland. He is known for Shooting an apple off one's child's head, shooting an apple off his son's head. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a cro ...

Michele Mariotti Michele Mariotti, born in 1979 in Urbino, near Pesaro, is an Italian conductor, the ''direttore musicale'' since 2014 of Teatro Comunale di Bologna. A graduate in composition of Pesaro's Conservatorio Statale di Musica Gioachino Rossini, Conservat ...

(conductor), Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna (DECCA, DVD) *2016: Featured in "Romance at the Met" (Met Opera on Demand) *2017: ''Rossini: Amor fatale'', Marco Armiliato (conductor),

Munich Radio Orchestra The Munich Radio Orchestra (German: ''Münchner Rundfunkorchester'') is a German symphony broadcast orchestra based in Munich. It is one of the two orchestras affiliated with the Bavarian Radio (Bayerischer Rundfunk), the other being the Bavaria ...

(BR-Klassik) *2018: Verdi: ''

'' (Live), Ivan Repušić (conductor),

(BR-Klassik) *2018: Mozart: ''

'' (Live),

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick Nézet-Séguin, CC (; born Yannick Séguin;David Patrick Stearns, "Nezet-Seguin signs Philadelphia Orchestra contract". ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', 19 June 2010. 6 March 1975) is a Canadian conductor and pianist. He is the music dir ...

(conductor),

Chamber Orchestra of Europe The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), established in 1981, is an orchestra based in London. The orchestra comprises about 60 members from across Europe. The players pursue parallel careers as international soloists, members of chamber groups and ...

RIAS Kammerchor The RIAS Kammerchor (RIAS Chamber Choir) is a German choir based in Berlin, Germany. It receives support from the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH Berlin ("Berlin Radio Orchestra and Choirs"), a limited-liability company owned by the public br ...

(Deutsche Grammophon) *2018: ''Spirito'', Jader Bignamini (conductor), Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Massimo di Palermo (Prima Classic) *2019: Verdi: '' La traviata'', Charles Castronovo, George Petean, Michael Balke (conductor), Latvian Festival Orchestra, State Choir Latvija (Prima Classic) *2020: ''Elle'' – French Opera Arias, Michael Balke (conductor), Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen (Prima Classic) *2021: ''Credo'', Modestas Pitrėnas (conductor),

Sinfonietta Rīga Sinfonietta Rīga is a state chamber orchestra in Latvia founded in 2006. Consisting of young students, the orchestra is influenced by Western and Eastern culture. Arvo Pärt's works were presented by the ensemble at the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg. T ...

, Latvian Radio Choir (Prima Classic)

Opera roles

* Violetta Valéry, '' La traviata'' (Verdi)Interview with … Marina Rebeka
/ref> * Contessa di Folleville, ''

'' (Rossini) * Madama Cortese, ''Il viaggio a Reims'' (Rossini) * Agilea, ''

'' (Handel) * Anna Erisso, ''

'' (Rossini) * Tatiana, ''

'' (Tchaikovsky) * Adina, ''

'' (Donizetti) * Elettra, ''

'' (Mozart) * Anai, ''

'' (Rossini) * Micaëla, ''

'' (Bizet) * Donna Anna, ''

'' (Mozart) * Lucia, ''

'' (Donizetti) * Mathilde, ''

'' (Rossini) * Juliette, ''

'' (Gounod) * Leïla, ''

'' (Bizet) * Fiordiligi, ''

'' (Mozart) * Antonia, ''

Les contes d'Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in ...

'' (Offenbach) * Musetta, ''

'' (Puccini) * Liù, ''

'' (Puccini) * Mimì, ''La bohème'' (Puccini) * Norma, ''

'' (Bellini) * Ginevra, ''

'' (Handel) * Vitellia, ''

'' (Mozart) * Thaïs, ''

'' (Massenet) * Maria Stuarda, ''

'' (Donizetti) * Donna Elvira, ''Don Giovanni'' (Mozart) * Marguerite, ''

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

'' (Gounod) * Luisa, ''

'' (Verdi) * Amelia Grimaldi, ''

Simon Boccanegra ''Simon Boccanegra'' () is an opera with a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play ''Simón Bocanegra'' (1843) by Antonio García Gutiérrez, whose play ''El trovador'' had bee ...

'' (Verdi) * Giovanna, ''

Giovanna d'Arco ''Giovanna d'Arco'' (''Joan of Arc'') is an operatic ''dramma lirico'' with a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, who had prepared the libretti for ''Nabucco'' and ''I Lombardi''. It is Verd ...

'' (Verdi) * Anna Bolena, ''

Anna Bolena ''Anna Bolena'' is a tragic opera (''tragedia lirica'') in two acts composed by Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto after Ippolito Pindemonte's ''Enrico VIII ossia Anna Bolena'' and Alessandro Pepoli's ''Anna Bolena'', ...

'' (Donizetti) * Nedda, ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...

'' (Leoncavallo) * Desdemona, ''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the La Scala, Teatro alla Scala, M ...

'' (Verdi)

Documentary

* ''Talanta un gribas svētītā'' (Blessed by Talent and Will). director: Zita Kaminska. aired on

LTV1 LTV1 ( Latvian: ''Latvijas Televīzija 1'') is the first television channel of Latvijas Televīzija (LTV), the state-owned public service television broadcaster in Latvia. The channel offers a wide range of content, including news, analysis, talk s ...

on 7 September 2017.

References

External links

*
Prima Classic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rebeka, Marina 1980 births Living people Musicians from Riga Latvian operatic sopranos 21st-century Latvian women opera singers Conservatorio Santa Cecilia alumni Latvian people of Belarusian descent Parma Conservatory alumni