Elīna Garanča has revealed her plans about how she sees her career transforming once she is done performing.

In a recent interview with Ö3’s “Breakfast with Me” in the lead-up to the Wiener Opernball, the famed mezzo-soprano said that she has been thinking of ending her career for a some time. She said, “I’ve been thinking about the end of my career for a long time. I am a realist. Ten to fifteen years is a really great career for a singer, 25 years of career – as long as mine has lasted – is a super extra and everything that comes after that borders on a miracle.”

She continued, “I still enjoy it, but my knees hurt. We stand on the sloping stages for a very long time during every performance. And I notice that singing the same parts over and over again is less fun for me. And I have accumulated so much experience, I enjoy passing it all on to young people.”

She did note that she would sing for a few more years and then she had many plans. Garanča said, “I have so many things that interest me. For example, we did a major renovation of our house in Malaga in the summer. I chose all the tiles myself, all the curtains – so if singing doesn’t work out anymore, I might work as an interior designer. Or in Spain, where we live, there are only terrible cakes. I could bake the Latvian cakes there and start a small business.”

Garanča recently opened the Teatro alla Scala in a production of “Don Carlo” and is set to perform at the Wiener Opernball on Feb. 8, 2024.