Soprano Ileana Cotrubaș died at the age of 87.

Soprano Ileana Cotrubaș, considered one of the most important Romanian voices of the 20th century, passed away at the age of 87, according to the announcement made by the National Opera of Bucharest.

Born in Galați on June 9, 1939, Ileana Cotrubaș began her artistic career at just nine years old, debuting on the stage of the Bucharest Opera in 1964. She had an international career, singing at the most prestigious theaters, including La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

An emblematic moment of her career was in 1975, when she replaced Mirella Freni in the role of Mimì in "La Bohème" at La Scala, at the request of Luciano Pavarotti.

After retiring from the stage, she continued to contribute to the art of singing through pedagogy.

The National Opera of Bucharest has expressed sincere condolences to the family and all those who admired her.