The Russian soprano Anna Netrebko (born 18 September 1971) is a well-known opera singer. She is much admired for her sumptuous voice, her fine technique, and her great personal beauty. Netrebko was born in Krasnodar. She began her career washing floors at St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre (home of the then Kirov Opera). There, she attracted the attention of conductor Valery Gergiev who became her vocal mentor. Guided by Gergiev, she made her operatic debut at the Mariinsky as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro.