The Bulgarian soprano Zvetelina Vassileva emerges as a young artist from Eastern Europe poised to make her entry into the international spotlight. Specializing in portrayal of Verdi heroines, Ms Vassileva’s unique repertoire also includes works by Slavic composer such as Borodin, Fibich, Glinka, Smetana and Tchaikovsky. Gaining prominence as one of the most sought after lyrico-dramatic sopranos, her performance has garnered critical acclaims from the world’s leading opera stages. One critic wrote, “… one of the great operatic finds of the decade…she has a huge, highly concentrated voice and a dynamic stage presence which proclaims her a massive star before she has even finished incanting her first phrase…”

Zvetelina Vassileva performed as Leonora in “Il Trovatore” in Messina In May 2006 and as Aida in “Aida” with the Houston Grand Opera in March - April 2007. In May - June, 2008 she will sing again as Aida at Cardiff with Welsh National Opera and she’ll sing in Japan as Amelia in “Un Ballo in Maschera”.

Born in Etropole, Bulgaria Zvetelina Vassileva received her diploma from the Sofia Musical Academy, where she majored in vocal interpretation. Her studies continued in Italy and became a winner of the 1992 International Tito Shipa Competion and 1993 Francesco Cilea Competion. She was also a recipient of a scholarship from the Friends of La Scala, which entitled her to study with celebrated tenor and Verdi Carlo Bergonzi. In addition to her operatic activity, she has given concert performances in Russia, France, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.

Zvetelina Vassileva’s singing debut was at the Varna International Festival as Liu in Turandot. She later returned to sing the role of Desdemona in Ottelo. Her operatic stage debut was made at the Sofia Opera in the role of Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera, subsequently singing the roles of Leonora in Il Trovatore, Elisabetta in Don Carlo. Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Violeta in La Traviata, The Princess in Zelle’s Der Vogelhaendler, Micaela in Carmen and Desdemona in Ottelo for the capital city.

Her United States opera debut was with the San Francisco Opera in 1994 as Leonora in Il Trovatore and she returned in San Francisco Opera the following season to sing the role of Gorislava in the company premiere of Ruslan and Lyudmila.

The 2005/2006season for Ms. Vassileva began with performances as Tatyana in “Eugene Onegin” with the Kentucky Opera, Toska in “Toska” with Madison Opera. She toured again Japan as Desdemona in “Otello”.

Zvetelina Vassileva began the 2004/2005 season as Liu in “Turandot” in a premiere and six performances with the Opera Pacific, California, in “Otello” as Desdemona with the National Opera Sofia.

The season 2003/2004 began with her returning to the Metropolitan Opera in season premiere and seven performances in “La Boheme”. Than she continued with National Opera in Greece – Thesseloniki for performances of “Un Ballo in Maschera” as Amelia and other performances with National Opera in Sofia – Bulgaria in “Don Carlo”, “La Traviata”, “Pagliacci” – Nedda and Verdi’s Messa di Requiem.

The 2002/2003 season for the young soprano began with a season premiere as Leonora in “Il Trovatore” with the Metropolitan Opera. After that she toured Japan as Mimi in “La Boheme” with the National Opera Sofia. She traveled to Toronto for the Canadian Opera Company’s performances of “Un Ballo in Maschera” as Amelia. She made her debut with Opera Pacific, California as Leonora in “Il Trovatore“ in the spring.

The 2001/2002 season for Ms. Vassileva began with the performances as Leonora in “Il Trovatore” in Santander – Spain. She sang the same role with the Royal Opera Glasgow and Royal Opera Edinburgh earlier in April/May 2001.


She sang again as Leonora in Il Trovatore for Le Maestranza in Seville – Spain in Sep. 2001.
Ms. Vassileva was with the Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin as Mimi in La Boheme in Nov. 2001. There was another debut later in Houston Grand Opera as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin in Jan./Feb. 2002.
She performed as Mimi again in Berlin Deutsche Staatsoper Unter den Linden in May 2002.

Earlier success for Ms. Vassileva includes Violeta in La Traviata with the Metropolitan Opera – New York, Leonora in Il Trovatore with Royal Opera Glasgow and with Edinburgh Opera, Desdemona in Ottelo with the Canadian Opera Company. The same season (2000-2001) she also sang Yaroslavna in Prince Igor with the Houston Grand Opera.

The 1999/2000 season began in Oct./Nov. with a stunning performance as Violeta in the Toronto Opera Company’s production of La Traviata then she sang the same role with the Baltimore Lyric Opera in Nov./December. In March she sang again with the Canadian Opera Company in their concert performance of Verdi’s Giovanna D’Arco as Giovanna.

Zvetelina Vassileva began the 1998/1999 season as Marenka in a new production of the Bartered Bride with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London directed by Franceska Zambello and Music Director Bernard Haitink, and as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin with the Michigan Opera – Detroit. Immediately following these performances, Ms. Vassileva made her debut with the Cincinnati Opera portraying Mimi in La Boheme in June 1999.

The 1997/1998 season began in Sept. as Ms. Vassileva made her debut with the Canadian Opera Company as Liu in Turandot. After this success, she made another season debut with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Desdemona in Elijah Moshinski’s production of Verdi’s Ottelo and two gala Evenings of Opera at the Royal Albert Hall. January 1998 was spent in Belgium performing the role of Judith in Bartok‘s Blaubart Burg (Duke Bluebeard’s Castle) for the Opera National de la Monnaie in Brussels. Early summer found Zvetelina Vassileva making a successful return to San Francisco Opera in the role of Drusilla for Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea directed by Christopher Alden. Her final appearance for the season was at Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival in the little role of Verdi’s Giovanna D’Arco performed in concert version.

In 1996/1997 Zvetelina Vassileva drew international acclaim from critics for her performances in the little role of Sarka, a rarely performed opera by Zdenek Fibich, at the Wexford Festival. This success was followed by an appearance with the Palm Beach Opera as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin. Also that season, she sang the role of Liu in Turandot for the Sofia Opera in her home country of Bulgaria.