Melba Ramos
Introduction

**Melba Ramos** is a [Puerto Rican](/wiki/Puerto_Ricans "Puerto Ricans")\- born [soprano](/wiki/Soprano "Soprano") active in the opera houses and concert halls of Europe. Since 1989 her operatic career has been primarily in Germany and in Austria where she has sung many leading roles at the [Vienna Volksoper](/wiki/Vienna_Volksoper "Vienna Volksoper"). In 2002, she created the role of Faustina in the posthumous premiere of [Joachim Raff](/wiki/Joachim_Raff "Joachim Raff")'s *Benedetto Marcello*.Thomas, Mark (2002\). ["Concert review: Metzingen"](http://www.raff.org/news/reviews/bad_urach/urach_3.htm). Raff.orgSinkovicz, Wilhelm (22 February 2011\). ["Melba Ramos: In Wien zur Primadonna geworden"](http://diepresse.com/home/kultur/klassik/636418/Melba-Ramos_In-Wien-zur-Primadonna-geworden). *[Die Presse](/wiki/Die_Presse "Die Presse")*. Retrieved 28 April 2015 .

Ramos was born in [Aguadilla](/wiki/Aguadilla "Aguadilla"), Puerto Rico and studied voice at the [Pablo Casals](/wiki/Pablo_Casals "Pablo Casals") Conservatory of Music in [San Juan](/wiki/San_Juan%2C_Puerto_Rico "San Juan, Puerto Rico"). A previous District winner of the [Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions](/wiki/Metropolitan_Opera_National_Council_Auditions "Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions"), she made her official debut as Despina in *[Così fan tutte](/wiki/Cos%C3%AC_fan_tutte "Così fan tutte")*. From 1989 to 1992 was a member of the Opera Studio at [Cologne Opera](/wiki/Cologne_Opera "Cologne Opera"). She was then engaged by [Wuppertal Opera](/wiki/Wuppertal_Opera "Wuppertal Opera") and in 2002 by the Vienna Volksoper.*[El Nuevo Dia](/wiki/El_Nuevo_Dia "El Nuevo Dia")* (11 January 2008\). ["Con el MET como brújula"](http://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/cultura/nota/conelmetcomobrujula-343870/). Retrieved 28 April 2015 . Some of the roles she has portrayed at the Volksoper include, Cio\-Cio\-San in *[Madama Butterfly](/wiki/Madama_Butterfly "Madama Butterfly")* (2011\), Giorgetta in *[Il Tabarro](/wiki/Il_Tabarro "Il Tabarro")* (2011\), Leonora in *[Il trovatore](/wiki/Il_trovatore "Il trovatore")* (2013\-2014\), Liù in *[Turandot](/wiki/Turandot "Turandot")* (2011\), Rosalinde in *[Die Fledermaus](/wiki/Die_Fledermaus "Die Fledermaus")* (2011\-2013\), and title roles in *[Tosca](/wiki/Tosca "Tosca")* (2010\-2012\) and *[Turandot](/wiki/Turandot "Turandot")* (2014\).

In 2003 she portrayed Fiordiligi in *Così fan tutte* at the [Salzburg Festival](/wiki/Salzburg_Festival "Salzburg Festival"). In 2010 she portrayed Cio\-Cio\-San at the [Staatstheater Nürnberg](/wiki/Staatstheater_N%C3%BCrnberg "Staatstheater Nürnberg"), and later returned there as Tosca in 2014\. In 2011 and 2012 she performed the role of Leonora at the [Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb](/wiki/Croatian_National_Theatre_in_Zagreb "Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb"). In 2013 she portrayed Amelia in *[Un ballo in maschera](/wiki/Un_ballo_in_maschera "Un ballo in maschera")* at the [Opernhaus Wuppertal](/wiki/Opernhaus_Wuppertal "Opernhaus Wuppertal"). The following year she portrayed Lady Macbeth in *[Macbeth](/wiki/Macbeth_%28Verdi%29 "Macbeth (Verdi)")* at the [Saarländisches Staatstheater](/wiki/Saarl%C3%A4ndisches_Staatstheater "Saarländisches Staatstheater"), and performed the role of Tigrane in *[Radamisto](/wiki/Radamisto "Radamisto")* at the [Palacio de Bellas Artes](/wiki/Palacio_de_Bellas_Artes "Palacio de Bellas Artes") in Mexico City.


What was Melba Ramos' previous achievement before becoming an opera singer?