Romanian-American soprano, Dr. Raluca Marinescu began her musical journey at the age of five, studying piano extensively. She has performed numerous piano recitals in her native country as well as in England, Italy and Austria. She attended piano master classes in Italy, where she discovered opera and her love for the nature given instrument never stopped growing.
Dr. Marinescu has been featured in concerts, recitals and opera productions across Europe and in the US, both as a pianist and as a soprano. Some of her favorite performances include Nedda in Pagliacci with Metropolitan Opera leading tenor Eduardo Villa in a production of Lyric Opera Northwest. Other beloved roles include Contessa in The Marriage of Figaro, Mimi in La Boheme, Antonia in The tales of Hoffmann and Tatiana in Eugene Onegin.
During her career, Dr. Marinescu has earned numerous awards and advanced degrees in vocal performance, holding a Master of Musical Arts as well as a Doctor in Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of Washington.
Aside from the stage experience, Dr. Marinescu has acquired extensive knowledge in arts administration, having worked in the Artistic Administration of Seattle Opera for several years. The experience allowed Dr. Marinescu to be involved in producing opera in one of the largest opera house in the US, working closely with international artists and cooperating with major opera institutions across the world.
Throughout the years Dr. Marinescu has never stopped teaching and sharing her knowledge with young talented musicians. Dr. Marinescu believes musical training and singing, in particular, is a journey of both vocal and personal development. The physical aspect of singing is deeply linked with the emotions of human nature and the maturity of the singer is inextricably linked to the ability of progressing as healthy performer. Thus, Dr. Marinescu recommends the starting age for voice lesson to be a minimum of 12 years old.
Dr. Marinescu strongly believes in creating a strong link of trust with her students, encouraging a continuous dialog with each one of them. She believes each student is an individual who requires a unique adaptation of the singing techniques to fit their individual goals and strengths. Dr. Marinescu enjoys teaching opera as well as musical theater, but has experience teaching in other genres as well.