Elena Obraztsova

Elena Obraztsova was a Soviet and Russian opera singer, who was one of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation. She had a powerful and expressive voice, and a wide repertoire that included Russian, Italian, French, and German operas. She sang in many prestigious opera houses, such as the Bolshoi Theatre, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, and the Vienna State Opera. She worked with renowned conductors, such as Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado, and Riccardo Muti. She also performed with famous singers, such as Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and Joan Sutherland. She was especially acclaimed for her roles as Carmen, Amneris, Azucena, Eboli, Dalila, and Marina. She also appeared in several films and television productions of operas, such as Carmen, Cavalleria rusticana, and War and Peace. She was awarded many honors and prizes, such as the People's Artist of the USSR, the Hero of Socialist Labour, the Order of Lenin, the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, the State Prize of Russia, and the UNESCO Mozart Medal. She was also a jury member of several international vocal competitions, and the founder of the Elena Obraztsova Cultural Centre and the Elena Obraztsova International Academy of Music. She died of a heart attack in Leipzig, Germany, in 2015, at the age of 75.