Since her Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition win in 1993, Ainhoa Arteta has been a dominant figure in the opera world, performing leading roles in every major theater. Her repertoire has traversed numerous composers from Puccini and Verdi to Gounod, Leoncavallo, and Cilea.

This week she adds to her expanding repertory, taking on another iconic role by Puccini.

The Spanish soprano sings her first “Madama Butterfly” at the Gran Theatre Liceu, a theater where she has had great success in such Puccini roles as Musetta in “La Bohème” and Liù in ‘Turandot.” Puccini has also been a vital composer in her career as she has become one of the most sought-after “Tosca” interpreters of her generation  Critics have raved of her Puccini as “masterful” and “Confident” and thus Spanish audiences should expect nothing less of her upcoming “Butterfly.”

For those not in attendance for these performances, Arteta has more Puccini coming up. She sings “Tosca” at the Israeli Opera followed by her role debut as Minnie in “La Fanciulla del West” in Beijing. She also sings Maddalena in “Andrea Chénier” at the Maestranza in Seville and  “Don Giovanni” in Mallorca.

Recordings

Arteta has built up a huge discography over the years and she can be seen in the Metropolitan Opera’s “La Bohème” DVD with Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas. She can also be seen in “Fedora” with Plácido Domingo and Mirella Freni.  She is also on an acclaimed DVD of “La Rondine” from the Washington National Opera.

Here is a clip of Arteta performing from “Adriana Lecouvreur.”

And here she is in the Metropolitan Opera’s legendary production of “La Boheme.”

Finally, here she is as Manon Lescaut.