Born in Bucharest, Romania, in a family of musicians, she took up permanent residence in Israel where she first studied cello, then canto, graduating from the Music Academy in Tel Aviv. She made her vocal debut in a concert with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. A scholarship from the Israel - America Cultural Foundation enabled her to continue her studies at the International Opera Studio in Zürich. After only one year she became a member of the Zürich Opera House where she sang such roles as the Queen of the Night in Mozart 's Zauberflöte which became her hallmark in operas throughout the world:The Glyndebourne Festival, Opera Houses in Hamburg, Munich, La Scala in Milan, Paris, as well as Staatsoper in Vienna. In 1980 she became a member of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin where she approached a wide repertoire in operas by Mozart, Strauss, Verdi, etc. Beginning with 1982 she was invited, for eight consecu - tive years, at the famous Salzburg Festival where she performed in the Eigth Symphony by Mahler, the world premiere of Berio 's opera Un re in ascolta , together with the Vienna Philharmonic under Lorin Maazel. In 1983 she made her debut at the Bayreuth Festival in Wagner 's Siegfried (under Georg Solti), and in the fol - lowing year she performed in Mozart 's Le Nozze di Figaro as part of the historical tour to China made by the Bayerisches Staatsoper Munich under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch. Her debut in the US took place in Philadelphia in Strauss - Ariadna auf Naxos . After that, she returned at La Scala in Milan for the world premiere of Manzoni 's Doctor Faustus and in 1992 for the title role in Donizetti 's Lucia di Lammermoor . Her repertoire also includes Verdi 's Rigoletto , Mozart 's Don Giovanni and Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail , Humperdinck 's Hänsel und Gretel , Bizet 's Carmen , etc. In 2002 she made her debut in the part of The Countess in Mozart 's Le Nozze di Figaro , as well as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Till Theatre in Prague, the same theatre where the world premiere of this opera took place). Her wide concert - repertoire includes vocal - symphonic scores ever since her debut in Chicago:Haydn 's Die Schopfung (with Solti - recorded for DECCA), Orff 's Carmina Burana (with New York Philharmonic, under Mehta), all Mahler 's Symphonies with soprano, works by Dvorak, Szymanowsky, Penderecki, Zemlinski, Bernstein, etc. She has collaborated with all major orchestras in the world, under some of the most prestigious conductors of this century, throughout Europe and the US. She has recorded works by Haydn (with Hager), Gluck, Second Symphony by Mahler (with Mehta), Carmina Burana (with Chailly), Poulenc, Bizet, Mozart 's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (with Viotti), etc. She is presently a professor at the Music Academy in Berlin as well as at the Vienna Conservatoire.

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