<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/collections/the-2007-time-100/7375719/anna-netrebko-2/" -->

---
description: She&#x27;s gorgeous. She sings opera. Get over it
title: The 2007 TIME 100 - TIME
image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta126941e9b338df0/6998ced29fbc7cb0bbd9af31/anna_netrebko.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=640&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;crop=16:9
---

May 03, 2007

# Anna Netrebko

by 

[Christopher Porterfield](/author/christopher-porterfield/)


## Christopher Porterfield


Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/)

Close

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta126941e9b338df0/6998ced29fbc7cb0bbd9af31/anna_netrebko.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=4:5)

Clive Arrowsmith / Camera Press / Retna

 Article Body Start   
  
 Opera, that gorgeous folly, has outlived the rarefied culture that once sustained it. It can't offer the high-voltage stars and sexy mass appeal that today's entertainment scene demands. Or so say its detractors. Then along comes Russian soprano Anna Netrebko—knockout good looks, bewitching charm and a mesmerizing hold on the media, which tirelessly chronicle her penchant for partying and haute couture.  

  
Behind the celebrity persona, Netrebko, 35, is the real deal, nurtured at Russia's Kirov Opera and now in demand from Salzburg to Tokyo. From her delicate frame comes a voice of astonishing richness and power. She's also a riveting actress; just watch her ignite the stage as the doomed Violetta in La Traviata. Netrebko's blend of vocal splendor and dramatic intensity has evoked comparisons with Maria Callas. Flattering, Netrebko says, but she wants to get to the point where she's celebrated for being herself. She's already there. 


```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/the-2007-time-100/7375719/anna-netrebko-2/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/the-2007-time-100/7375719/anna-netrebko-2/"},"headline":"The 2007 TIME 100 - TIME","datePublished":"2007-05-03T04:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T22:51:08.778Z","description":"She's gorgeous. She sings opera. Get over it","url":"https://time.com/collections/the-2007-time-100/7375719/anna-netrebko-2/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta126941e9b338df0/6998ced29fbc7cb0bbd9af31/anna_netrebko.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Christopher Porterfield","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/christopher-porterfield/"}],"creator":"Christopher Porterfield","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta126941e9b338df0/6998ced29fbc7cb0bbd9af31/anna_netrebko.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/the-2007-time-100/7375719/anna-netrebko-2/","name":"The 2007 TIME 100 - TIME"}}]}]
```
