Truly one of the world’s most stunningly brilliant lyric sopranos, Kathleen Battle’s unwavering musicianship and natural vocal beauty are simply thrilling. She seems to possess an almost magical ability to capture her audiences with a voice that is both luminous and vulnerable.

From the inaugural season of the International Vocal Recitals series in 1997, we’ve seen Cecilia Bartoli mature in a most extraordinary way. Her hauntingly beautiful voice — an astonishing instrument of amazing flexibility — and her deep musical insight have made her one of classical music’s true superstars.

The career trajectory of this incredibly gifted soprano can only be described as meteoric. Since winning the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff in 2005, she is on the fast track to becoming opera’s next superstar.

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Lambent sound. Brilliant stage presence. Superb artistry. A calm and transcendent mastery of her craft. Renée Fleming has it all. Revered at all the great opera houses of the world, and nominated for two 2008 Grammy Awards this year, we love this soprano for her creamy notes and honeyed-phrasing.