Anita Rachvelishvili

Anita Rachvelishvili (Georgian: ანიტა რაჭველიშვილი, ra-tch—veli-shvili; born 1984 in Tbilisi) is a Georgian operatic mezzo-soprano. She is especially known for singing Verdi; conductor Riccardo Muti said in 2018: "She is without doubt the best Verdi mezzo-soprano today on the planet. Without. Doubt." She is also well known for singing Bizet's Carmen. Opera News magazine has stated that "Rachvelishvili is a unique dramatic presence. Her dark, smoldering eyes and cascading black curls are striking, but what is unusual is the juxtaposition of fiery surface and an inward-focused quality, seeming to draw power from some secret space." Earlier in her career she became the youngest singer ever to open a season at La Scala. A New York Times portrayal in late 2018 said that she had achieved the highest echelon of her profession during that year. American critic Alex Ross has said of her abilities: "The [opera house] should let her do whatever she wants: artists of this calibre are the reason opera exists."