Moldavian-born Valentina Naforniţa is considered one of the most sought-after sopranos of her generation. Shortly after graduating from the National University of Music in Bucharest, Romania, Valentina Naforniţa won the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and started her international career as an opera singer. 

As a member of the young ensemble of the Vienna State Opera she was able to develop a broad repertoire. Her Papagena in Mozart’s The Magic Flute was followed by several remarkable debuts, including Musetta (La Bohème), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Norina (Don Pasquale), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Oscar (Un ballo in maschera) and Ilia (Idomeneo). 

Her debut as Zerlina at the Salzburg Festival in summer 2014 was followed by appearances at the Opéra national de Paris in the title role of Iolanta, at the Opéra de Lausanne as Contessa in Nozze di figaro and at the State Operas of Hamburg, Berlin and Munich, La Scala in Milan and further on at the Vienna State Opera. 

Further highlights of her career include Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Vienna State Opera, Musetta (La Bohème) at the Teatro de Liceu in Barcelona, Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence under the baton of Zubin Mehta, and a film of La Bohème for the Italian RAI. 

The 2022/ 23 sees her returning to the Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence, where she will appear on stage for the first time in the role of Micaela (Carmen). She is also preparing her debut as Mimi (La Bohème), which she will give at the Berlin State Opera. 

The artist regularly works with world-leading conductors such as Bertrand de Billy, Guillermo García Calvo, Karel Mark Chichon, Gustavo Dudamel, Ádám Fischer, Louis Langrée, Cristian Mandeal, Ingo Metzmacher, Kazushi Ono, Evelino Pidò, Peter Schneider and Franz Welser-Möst, Keri-Lynn Wilson, Simone Young and Massimo Zanetti. 

Her first album Romance was released by the label Alpha in 2020 to critical acclaim.