Timeline Ileana Cotrubas

Romanian operatic soprano whose sweet timbre, dramatic intensity and command of opera in multiple languages made her one of the most admired sopranos of the 1970s and 1980s. Born in Galati, she rose from a children's radio choir to perform on the world's greatest stages alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Her signature roles included Violetta in La Traviata, Mimi in La Boheme and Gilda in Rigoletto. She was named an Austrian Kammersangerin and an Honorary Member of the Vienna State Opera.

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Ileana Cotrubas 16

1939 Ileana Cotrubas born in Galati Born Ileana Cotrubas in Galati, eastern Romania. Her father Vasile was a tenor in an amateur choir and her mother also sang, surrounding her with music from birth.
1948 – 1952 Children's Radio Choir Joined a children's radio choir at the age of nine, becoming one of its leading soloists by eleven.
1952 – 1957 Scoala Speciala de Muzica, Bucharest Moved to Bucharest at thirteen to study piano, violin, conducting, acting and voice at the Scoala Speciala de Muzica, a school for musically gifted children.
1957 – 1963 Bucharest Conservatory Studied voice with Eugenia Elinescu and Constantin Stroescu at the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory in Bucharest.
1964 Stage Debut Made her operatic stage debut as Yniold in Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande at the Bucharest Opera.
1965 – 1966 International Competition Victories Won first prize at the International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in 1965, and the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1966, launching her international career.
1968 – 1971 Frankfurt Opera Signed a contract with the Frankfurt Opera, where she performed for three years while also making debuts at the Vienna State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Berlin State Opera and the Salzburg Festival.
1969 Glyndebourne Debut Made her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival in England, beginning a long association with British opera audiences.
1971 Royal Opera House Debut Made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in London.
1972 Marriage to Manfred Ramin Married Manfred Ramin, a German conductor. They settled in England, where she enjoyed the countryside and cooking venison.
1973 American Debut with Pavarotti Made her American debut as Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, starring alongside Luciano Pavarotti.
1975 La Scala Debut Made her debut at Milan's Teatro alla Scala as a last-minute replacement. When the scheduled soprano Mirella Freni fell ill, Pavarotti reportedly cried: 'Get Cotrubas!' The audience response was rapturous.
1977 Metropolitan Opera Debut Made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, performing the role of Mimi.
1981 Austrian Kammersangerin Named Austrian Kammersangerin, one of the highest honours for opera singers in Austria, by the Vienna State Opera.
1990 Retirement from the Stage Retired from the operatic stage after a career spanning 26 years, having performed at every major opera house in the world. Devoted her subsequent years to teaching and mentoring young singers including Angela Gheorghiu.
2026 Ileana Cotrubas dies in Bucharest Died in Bucharest at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of celebrated recordings including La Traviata with Placido Domingo, Le nozze di Figaro under Sir Georg Solti, and La Boheme under Carlos Kleiber.