Soprano Stefka Evstatieva has passed away. She was 78 years old.

Evstatieva was born on May 7, 1947 in Bulgaria. She studied voice at the State Academy of Music in Sofia. Her career began in 1971 at the Ruse Opera, where she made her debut as Amelia in “Un ballo in maschera.” She joined the Sofia National Opera in 1978 and began to appear internationally at houses such as the Vienna State Opera, the Munich State Opera, the Royal Opera, the Arena di Verona, and Teatro alla Scala. Evstatieva also sang in Paris, Rome, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Berlin, San Francisco, and Dallas. Her Metropolitan Opera debut was on April 9, 1984, singing Élisabeth de Valois in “Don Carlos.”

The soprano received several awards, including the Grand Prize of Belgian Radio & TV Belcanto Competition, Grand Prize and Golden Ring in the Young Singers Competition in Sofia, and Best Performance Award at the Arena di Verona.

In 2004, Stefka Evstatieva helped establish the Bulgarian Children’s Chorus and School Gergana, New York, and has been a compensated advisor since 2009.

Evstatieva passed away on Nov. 9 from complications due to an illness. Her husband survives her.