The young mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča has quickly established herself as one of the music world’s newest stars through her performances with leading opera theaters and symphony orchestras around the world. She has captured critical and popular acclaim for her beautiful voice, intelligent musicianship, and compelling stage portrayals.

Elīna Garanča begins the 2007-08 season with her first performances of the title role in Carmen in her native Riga. This same season she makes several important debuts including her first appearances with the Metropolitan Opera as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia; Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier with Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Adalgisa in Norma with the Bayerische Staatsoper. Ms. Garanča also returns to the Vienna Staatsoper for performances of Charlotte in Werther, Octavian, Adalgisa, and Rossini’s Rosina. Concert appearances figure prominently in her season including performances as Roméo in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi at Vienna’s Konzerthaus, scheduled for release on CD with Deutsche Grammophon. Other highlights of her work in concert include gala concerts in Prague and Vienna; as well as performances of Mahler’s Third Symphony at Vienna’s Musikverein; Berio’s Folk Songs with the Berlin Philharmonic; concerts with the Orchestra National de France led by Riccardo Muti; and concerts with the Salzburg Festival under the baton of Mariss Jansons.

Elīna Garanča has appeared frequently for audiences in Vienna including recent performances as Charlotte in a new production of Werther opposite Marcelo Alvarez, Rosina, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Octavian, and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro under the direction of Riccardo Muti with the Vienna Staatsoper as well as her first performances as Sesto in La clemenza di Tito with Theater an der Wien. Ms. Garanča made her debut at the Salzburg Festival as Annio in a new production of La clemenza di Tito under the direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and she soon returned for performances as Dorabella. The role of Dorabella was the vehicle for her debut with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and with the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in a Patrice Chereau production seen also at the Vienna Festwochen and with the Opéra de Paris.

Audiences in Paris saw the mezzo-soprano for the first time when she made her debut in the title role of La cenerentola with the Théâtre Champs-Elysées, and she soon returned for performances with the Opéra de Paris as Octavian and Mozart’s Sesto. The role of Sesto was also the vehicle for her debut with the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin. She counts among her other recent successes her first performances as Adalgisa opposite the Norma of Edita Gruberova in concert performances in Baden-Baden and performances as Nicklausse for her debut in Japan with the New National Theater. She has appeared frequently in Finland including performances as Rosina and Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena with the Finnish National Opera and Maddalena in Rigoletto with the Savonlinna Festival. In her native Latvia, she has appeared as Rosina with the National Opera and as Giovanna Seymour on tour with the National Opera to Romania and Greece.

Elina Garanča is a frequent guest with leading symphony orchestras throughout Europe. She has appeared with the Vienna Philharmonic in performances of Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder and with the Bayerische Rundfunk in Dvorak’s Requiem. She performed de Falla’s Der Dreispitz at Vienna’s Musikverein led by Bertrand de Billy and appeared in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Orchestre National de France led by Kurt Masur. She recently completed a European concert tour with the Orchestra of the Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam under the direction of Mariss Jansons as well as a solo concert tour of seven cities in Germany with the Munich Symphony Orchestra. In 2006, she returned to the Salzburg Festival for concerts of Mozart sacred music conducted by Riccardo Muti. She is a frequent guest in Finland where she has appeared as soloist in Rossini's Stabat Mater and in a concert of Mozart arias, both with the Helsinki Philharmonic. She has also appeared in concert with the RAI Orchestra in Turin and with the Belgian National Orchestra. Ms. Garanča has a varied recital repertoire and has given solo recitals Vienna’s Musikverein, the Helsinki Festival and the Turku Festival.

Elina Garanča began her professional career as a resident artist with the Südthüringischer Staatstheater in Meiningen where she appeared in a number of leading roles. Later, as a resident artist with the Frankfurt Opera, she appeared as Rosina, Dorabella, and Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel.

In September 2005 Elina Garanča became an exclusive recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon. Her first solo recording ‘Aria Cantilena’ was released in March 2007 to great popular and critical acclaim and was awarded the prestigious ECHO KLASSIK award for ‘Singer of the Year 2007.’ In July 2007 she was one of a quartet of singers for gala concerts in Baden Baden, and the third of these concerts was broadcast live on ZDF to a German audience of over two million. A CD and DVD of the concerts are scheduled for release by Deutsche Grammphon, and a documentary of the event will be broadcast throughout Europe in 2008. In 2006 she participated in DG’s all-star compilation ‘The Mozart Album’ commemorating the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth. Elina Garanča’s appearances on television also include performances of arias and songs on programs including ‘Klassisch!’ and ‘Eine Grosses Nachtmusik.’ In October 2006, the Foundation Europäischer Kulturpreis awarded Elīna Garanča a prize for her artistic achievements during a gala at the Semper Opera Dresden, and Ms. Garança’s performance was later broadcast throughout Germany. Ms. Garanča’s solo recording debut was a program of opera arias released by Ondine in 2001. In 2004 the mezzo-soprano recorded Vivaldi’s Les Bazaget for Virgin Classics, and in 2005 she completed a solo recording of Mozart arias with the same label. Also in 2005, she recorded Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Münchener Rundfunkorchester for Sony. Her performance as Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther at the Vienna State Opera opposite Marcelo Alvarez was released on DVD on the TDK label. The same label also released a DVD of the Salzburg Festival’s 2003 production of La clemenza di Tito which featured Ms. Garanča as Annio.

Ms. Garanča was born into a musical family in Riga, Latvia. In 1996 she entered the Latvian Academy of Music, and since 1998 she has studied with Irina Gavrilovici in Vienna and Virginia Zeani in the United States. She won the Mirjam Helin Singing Competition in 1999 and was a finalist in the 2001 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.