The career of mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča had a meteoric rise following the 2003 Salzburg Festival, where she appeared to acclaim in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. She has a creamy, powerful voice and extraordinary dramatic skills covering a large variety of operatic roles and a broad concert and recital repertory. Her first recording, Arie Favorite (2001), on Ondine, has been followed by several others on other labels, some of which also feature thematically linked arias. In the meantime, a string of impressive debuts at major opera houses occurred, including a sensational 2008 debut at the Met. The 2010s saw continued triumphs. Romantique won the prestigious ECHO Klassik award in Germany in 2013. On-stage, she has continued to favor mainstream Italian and French roles.