ANITA RACHVELISHVILI is recognized internationally as one of the leading artists of our day. Her career was launched in a spectacular overnight coup de théâtre in 2009, when Daniel Barenboim invited her to open the La Scala season as the title role in a much-publicized new production of Carmen, with Jonas Kaufmann as Don José. This performance marked her debut in the role and was televised all over the world. Rachvelishvili rapidly began making a number of international debuts in this role: at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Berlin State Opera, Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, Teatro Regio in Turin, Canadian Opera Company, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Semperoper Dresden, Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, and Arena di Verona. After making countless debuts at theaters throughout the world, Rachvelishvili has returned to these international houses each season: she has sung Amneris in Aida at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Teatro Regio in Turin, Arena di Verona, and for her debuts at both the Vienna State Opera and Paris Opera. After her first performances of Azucena in Il Trovatore at Covent Garden, she reprised the role at the Metropolitan Opera and Paris Opera. She sang her first Dalila in Samson et Dalila for her debut in Amsterdam in concert at the Concertgebouw, and subsequently appeared as Dalila in Paris, Monte Carlo and at the Metropolitan Opera. She also made her debut at the Dutch National Opera as Marfa in Christoph Loy's new production of Khovanschina.
The artist has had a close collaboration with the such renowned conductors as Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Antonio Pappano, Christian Thielemann, and others. An exclusive Sony Classical artist, Rachvelishvili’s debut solo album was released in 2018 to great critical acclaim, and she was featured in a 2019 New York Times article titled "A Young Singer Takes the Opera World by Storm."
Anita Rachvelishvili was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. She first studied piano at the Mukhran Machavariani School, eventually focusing her studies on singing at the Vano-Sarajishvili Conservatory with Manana Egadze. She received a stipend from the president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and shortly thereafter won the Paata Burchuladze Prize. While still a student at the conservatory, she debuted at the Opera in Tblisi as Maddalena in Rigoletto and as Olga in Eugene Onegin, subsequently joining the ensemble of the theater. In 2007, she was invited to join the Accademia at the Teatro alla Scala.
In season 2024/2025, Anita Rachvelishvili has sung Ježibaba in the opera Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák Teatro San Carlo in Naples, followed by Amneris in Aida in Riga and title role of Carmen in Arena di Verona. In season 2025/2026, the artist will sing Azucena in Il trovatore at the Teatro Real Madrid alongside Marina Rebeka.