She was born in Kazan, former Soviet Union on 14/05/1950. She graduated as a conductor from the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1976 she moved to New Orleans and studied voice at the Loyola University College of Music under Patricia Havranek. In 1979, she made her professional debut in a small role in The Magic Flute [Die Zauberflote] and that same year she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 1980, she sang the title role in Aïda at the Seattle Opera. In 1981, she made her Metropolitan Opera New York debut as Mimì in bohème, conducted by James Levine. Subsequently she sang Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, opposite Leo Nucci, and Emma in the production of The Khovansky Affair [Khovanschina] opposite Martti Talvela. Additionally, she appeared with numerous theaters in Europe and in the USA, including Opera North, Scottish Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera de Montreal, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Arena di Verona, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Municipal Theater of Santiago (Chile), Opera de Nice (France), Calgary Opera (Canada), San Francisco Opera, etc. She sang the title roles in the operas Il trovatore, La traviata, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Pagliacci, Aida, Eugene Onegin, Manon Lescaut, Don Carlos, etc. Additionally she sang in concerts with american orchestras. She appears on a DVD of the production of the opera Francesca da Rimini alongside Renata Scotto and Plácido Domingo (MET 1984, DG). She worked with the GNO once, singing the title role in Aida (Herodeion, 1990/91).