I remember my partner, who wasn’t a big opera buff, came by while I was watching it on television and stopped and sat down and was mesmerized. He said, “who is that woman?” he couldn’t believe her performance and how real it was. I became a fan of hers ever since I’ve gotten lots of her DVDs and watched as many performances as I could. She has a wonderful repertoire, but she really excels as Violetta. I also have a DVD of her doing Lucia from Orange with Villazon Which is tremendous.

I question why she never came to sing at the Met. Maybe her voice is not large enough, but she is truly a remarkable soprano with a beautiful voice, a lovely stage presence, and a realism she brings to her performances.