Edita Gruberová

Born in Rača, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia on December 23, 1946, Edita Gruberová was an acclaimed coloratura soprano. Nicknamed ‘the Queen of Coloratura’, she is closely associated with her interpretations of works by classical composers such as Donizetti, Verdi, and Rossini, as well as many operas by Mozart. Edita Gruberová grew up singing in a children’s choir and studied piano playing in order to pass the exam so that she could enter the conservatory. Beginning her studies at the Bratislava Conservatory, she continued her education at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. She made her operatic debut – as Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia - at the National Theatre (Bratislava) in 1968. In February 1970, she made her Vienna Opera debut, and, within a year, she left her home country in order to pursue a career in Vienna. Initially given secondary roles in a variety of operas including Wagner’s Siegfried, Strauss’ Die Rosenkavalier, Verdi’s Don Carlo, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and many others. After an appearance at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1973, she began to get leading roles in high profile performances including Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos in 1976. Shortly thereafter, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera (New York). In 1982, she performed with Luciano Pavarotti in Verdi’s Rigoletto film directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. In 1989, she participated in the celebrations of the bicentennial of the French Revolution chanting in La Traviata at the Palace of Versailles. Her vast recorded output included highlights such as The Art of Coloratura (1983), Famous Opera Arias (1985) , Queen of Coloratura (1994), French & Italian Operatic Arias (1995), The Queen of Belcanto (2000), Mozart: Concert Arias (2004) and Mozart Opera Arias (2013). Throughout her career, she received many awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 from the International Classical Music Awards. Edita Gruberová died on October 18, 2021, at the age of 74.

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