Ileana Cotrubaș, a Romanian operatic soprano who debuted as Mimì at La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera, died on August 20, 2026, at 87, according to Digi24, which cited the Romanian National Opera in Bucharest.
After appearing as a soloist with the Romanian Radio Children’s Chorus and studying music in Bucharest, Cotrubaș made her stage debut at the Bucharest Opera in 1964 as Yniold in Pelléas et Mélisande. She won first prizes at the 1965 International Singing Competition in ’s-Hertogenbosch and the 1966 Munich Radio Competition. Before her first major engagement abroad, she signed a three-year contract with Frankfurt Opera.
International engagements followed at festivals in Salzburg, Glyndebourne and Florence. At Glyndebourne from 1969 to 1973, she performed Mélisande in Pelléas et Mélisande, Calisto in La Calisto and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro.
Cotrubaș made her La Scala debut in 1975 as Mimì in La bohème after stepping in at short notice. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in New York in the same role on March 23, 1977.
Her recordings included complete performances of operas ranging from La Calisto and Le nozze di Figaro to La traviata, Rigoletto and Carmen. Her later stage roles included Rosalinde, Desdemona and Charlotte before she retired in 1990. After retiring from stage performance, Cotrubaș devoted herself to working with young singers. She also published Opernwahrheiten in 1998.
