Edita Gruberova (born December 23, 1946) is a Czechoslovakian opera singer who is one of the most acclaimed coloraturas of recent decades. She is noted for her great tonal clarity, agility, and ability to sing high notes with great power, making her an ideal Queen of Night in her early years. In recent years, she has enjoyed great success with a number of the important bel canto roles.

Gruberova was born in Bratislava, now in Slovakia, the daughther of a Hungarian mother and a father with German roots. She began her musical studies at Bratislava Conservatory, later continuing in Prague and Vienna.

In 1968, Gruberova made her operatic debut in Bratislava as Rosina in The Barber of Seville. Her major breakthrough came two years later when she was engaged to sing the Queen of Night at the Vienna State Opera, where she sang regularly from 1972 on, making it a base for a successful international career, especially in coloratura roles.

Gruberova made her debut at Glyndebourne in 1974 and at the Metropolitan Opera in 1977, both as the Queen of Night. In 1977, she also first appeared at the Salzburg Festival, as Thibault in Don Carlo, under Herbert von Karajan. Gruberova made her Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début as Giulietta in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi in 1984. Other important roles she has sung have been Zerbinetta, Gilda, Violetta, Lucia, Konstanze, Manon and Oscar; She sang Donna Anna at La Scala in 1987; Marie in La fille du régiment in 1987, and Semiramide in 1992 at Zürich; and Queen Elizabeth I in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux in Vienna in 1990.

Like another notable coloratura before her, Beverly Sills, Gruberova has expanded her repertoire in recent years, as her voice has darkened, to include such heavier bel canto roles as Maria Stuarda and Anna Bolena. Lacking the dramatic chest tones of other sopranos who have assayed these roles, Gruberova compensates with great expressiveness and dramatic impact, for which she has attracted many admirers.

Gruberova has made many recordings, most notably in recent years full-length recordings and extended selections from Donizetti's Tudor Queens trilogy and other bel canto operas.

External links

• unofficial Gruberova website (http://www.gruberova.com/liter.htm)
• Gruberova fan website (http://www.opernfan.de/opera/)