Valentina Nafornița

Nafornița was born in Cuhnești, Moldova. Interested in music from a young age, she began studying singing, violin and dancing as a child. She went on to graduate from the Ștefan Neaga Music College (high school) in Chișinău, Moldova, in 2006, followed by a degree in Opera from the National University of Music in Bucharest, Romania. There, she studied under Eleonora Enăchescu and Maria Slătinaru-Nistor.

During and following her studies, she began entering vocal competitions, winning the Romanian Orange Prize for Young Musicians, the Hariclea Darclée Competition, and the Young Opera Singers of Europe Competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/valentina-nafornita|title=Valentina Naforniţă|website=Opéra national de Paris|language=en|access-date=2019-08-02}} In 2011, she won both the Singer of the World and the Dame Joan Sutherland Audience Award at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5856YztSL4sLttllJ8vPbZ2/moldova-valentina-naforni|title=BBC - BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, 2011 - Moldova: Valentina Naforniţă|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-08-02}} competition. This marked a turning point in her career.

In September 2011, Nafornița became a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble, where she made her professional stage debut as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte. As a member of the ensemble, she debuted numerous roles including: Musetta (La bohème),{{Cite web|url=https://upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/artists/artist-detail/artist/477-nafornita-valentina/|title=Valentina Naforniţa\publisher=Vienna State Opera|access-date=2019-08-02}}{{dead link|date=September 2020}} Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Adina (L'elisir d'amore), Norina (Don Pasquale)) Gilda (Rigoletto), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Nayade (Ariadne auf Naxos), Clorinda (Cenerentola), Oscar (Un ballo in maschera), and Ilia (Idomeneo). Also in Vienna, in February 2013 and 2018, she was chosen as the singer to open the Vienna Opera Ball.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hilbert.de/kuenstler-details.php?id=158|title=Valentina Nafornita - Hilbert Artists Management|website=www.hilbert.de|access-date=2019-08-02}}

In 2014, she made her debut at the Salzburger Festspiele as Zerlina in Don Giovanni,{{Cite web|url=https://archive.salzburgerfestspiele.at/biografie/artistid/14075|title=Salzburger Festspiele {{!}} Biografie Valentina Nafornita|website=archive.salzburgerfestspiele.at|access-date=2019-08-02}} and in 2016, she made her debut in Paris in the role of Sophie (Werther){{Cite web|url=https://www.kulturserver-nrw.de/de_DE/cultural-engaged/valentina-nafornita.124540|title=Gesichter NRW - Kulturserver NRW|website=www.kulturserver-nrw.de|access-date=2019-08-02}} at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées opposite Juan Diego Flórez and Joyce DiDonato. The following season, in September 2017, she made her Opéra national de Paris debut as Valencienne in Die lustige Witwe,{{Cite web|url=https://www.operabase.com/a/Valentina_Naforni%C8%9B%C4%83/17364/fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802201702/https://www.operabase.com/a/Valentina_Naforni%25C8%259B%25C4%2583/17364/fr|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 2, 2019|title=Engagements|website=operabase.com|access-date=2019-08-02}} and returned to the French capital as Servilia (La clemenza di Tito) in November 2017, Adina (L'elisir d'amore) in 2018, and as the title role in Iolanta in 2019.

In 2018, Nafornița made her debut at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma as Musetta (La bohème), as well as her role and house debut as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte at the Opéra de Lausanne. The later was broadcast on Arte, becoming one of the most viewed operas in 2018 on the channel's online platform.

Other notable debuts include Norina (Don Pasquale) in a new production (2015) by Irina Brook with Juan Diego Flórez and Michele Pertusi, conducted by Jesús López Cobos. She was invited twice to perform in the televised Christmas in Vienna concert in 2015 and 2018,{{Cite web|url=https://www.sn.at/kultur/musik/christmas-in-vienna-konzert-mit-eroed-und-nafornita-40477903|title="Christmas in Vienna" – Konzert mit Eröd und Nafornita|work=Salzburger Nachrichten|date=24 September 2018 |language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}} broadcast on ORF III and Arte. In 2017, she made her house debut at the Staatsoper Hamburg as Adina.{{Cite web|url=https://klassik-begeistert.de/lelisir-damore-gaetano-donizetti-valentina-nafornita-dovlet-nurgeldiyev-hamburgische-staatsoper/|title=L'elisir d'amore, Gaetano Donizetti, Valentina Nafornita, Dovlet Nurgeldiyev, Hamburgische Staatsoper|date=2017-04-07|website=Klassik begeistert|language=de-DE|access-date=2019-08-02}}

Highlights of her 2019/20 season include a role debut as Helena in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream{{Cite web|url=https://upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at/spielplan-tickets/detail/event/968359567-a-midsummer-night-s-dream/|title=A Midsummer Night's Dream|publisher=Vienna State Opera|website=upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at|language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}}, Norina in Don Pasquale{{Cite web|url=https://upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at/spielplan-tickets/detail/event/969354527-don-pasquale/|title=Don Pasquale|publisher=Vienna State Opera|website=upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at|language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}}, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro{{Cite web|url=https://upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at/spielplan-tickets/detail/event/969363251-le-nozze-di-figaro/|title=Le nozze di Figaro|publisher=Vienna State Opera|website=upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at|language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}} and a role debut as Irina in Tri Sestri,{{Cite web|url=https://upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at/spielplan-tickets/detail/event/969263592-tri-sestri-drei-schwestern/|title=Tri Sestri (Drei Schwestern)|publisher=Vienna State Opera|website=upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at|language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}} all at the Vienna State Opera,{{Cite web|url=https://upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at/spielplan-tickets/detail/event/968359567-a-midsummer-night-s-dream/|title=A Midsummer Night's Dream|publisher=Vienna State Opera|website=upstream.wiener-staatsoper.at|language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}} and Adina in L'elisir d'amore at the Opéra de Lausanne and the Nationaltheater Mannheim.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationaltheater-mannheim.de/de/oper/stueck_details.php?SID=10|title=Nationaltheater Mannheim – Der Liebestrank|website=nationaltheater-mannheim.de|access-date=2019-08-02}}

Her debut album will be released on 10 January 2020.{{Update inline|date=September 2020}}

Nafornița has sung a version of the popular Romanian folk song "Cântă cucu-n Bucovina" ("Sings the Cuckoo in Bukovina").{{cite news|url=https://www.ziarulnational.md/video-canta-cucu-n-bucovina-varianta-interpretata-de-catre-valentina-nafornita-veti-auzi-un-catec-trist-dar-de-mare-dor/|title=VIDEO // "Cântă cucu-n Bucovina", varianta interpretată de Valentina Naforniță: "Veți auzi un cântec trist, dar de mare dor"|newspaper=Ziarul Național|date=25 May 2020|language=ro}}

In 2021 Valentina divorced her husband, baritone Mihai Dogotari. She is the patron of CCF Moldova,{{Cite web|url=https://ccfmoldova.org/en/home|title=CCF Moldova|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-02}} an organization which helps kids in need in her native Moldova.

• Romance, Münchner Runfunkorchster conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson, Outhere Music, 2020{{Cite web|url=http://outhere-music.com/en/albums/romance-omf705|title=Romance Outhere Music|last=Snowcap|first=Bureau347 &|website=outhere-music.com|access-date=2020-01-14}}
• Don Giovanni by Mozart, 2014 (DVD) singing the role of Zerlina. Salzburger Festspiele with the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/wiener-phil-eschenbach-mozart-don-giovanni/hnum/7551039|title=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni (Blu-ray Disc) – jpc|website=www.jpc.de|language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}}
• Hans Zimmer: Filmmusik: The World Of Hans Zimmer, 2019 (CD), Sony Classical{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/art/zimmer-hans-rso-wien-gerrard-lisa-the-world-of-hans-zimmer-a-symphonic-celebration/hnum/8935384|title=Hans Zimmer: The World Of Hans Zimmer – A Symphonic Celebration (2 CDs) – jpc.de|website=www.jpc.de|language=de|access-date=2019-08-02}}

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Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Glodeni District

Category:Operatic sopranos

Category:Moldovan opera singers

Category:21st-century Moldovan women singers

Category:21st-century women opera singers

Category:National University of Music Bucharest alumni