Sandra Laureano

Sandra Plamenats was born in Zagreb in 1987. She originates from an ancient noble Montenegrin family, three of her ancestors (Arsenije Plamenac, Ruvim II Boljević, and Visarion Boljević) were rulers of the country, voivode Iliya Plamenats was a national hero, and others were outstanding warriors and diplomats. She is a grand niece of John Plamenatz, a famous Montenegrin social and political philosopher, who was a professor at Nuffield College, and Chichele Professor of Social and Political Theory at All Souls College, University of Oxford.
Sandra started to sing at the age of 2 when she joined the Croatian children choir 'Zagrebački mališani', with which she performed at Lisinski concert hall in Zagreb. She began to study opera singing when she was spotted by the choral director of The Bolshoi Theatre Andrey Zaboronok, who said that Sandra had a natural operatic voice.
In his recommendation letter he wrote 'Plamenats has a rich, strong voice, which will enable her opera singing career success. She is harmonious and artistic, her internal energy corresponds to her powerful voice. Her working ability and knowledge of several foreign languages ​​are big advantages for her future opera singing career'.
Andrey Zaboronok was her singing teacher till 2007.
In 2007. Sandra entered State musical college of The Moscow Conservatory in Russia. Her teacher was opera singer and The Bolshoi Theatre soloist Elena Okolisheva.
In 2009 Sandra entered Moscow State Conservatory P.I. Tchaikovsky, also in the class of prof. Elena Okolisheva.
Also in 2009. Sandra graduated as one of the best students from Philological Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Foreign Literature and Languages. Before that she studied Foreign Literature and Languages at The University of Vienna.
Sandra is fluent in English, Russian, German and Norwegian. She also speaks Italian and French.
She had solo concerts in Montenegro: at King Nikola's Castle in Bar, Cultural Centre 'Budo Tomovic' in Podgorica, 'Red Commune' Hall in Petrovac accompanied by pianist Nikoleta Strugar. Sandra was the first opera singer to perform in front of over 90 Ministers of Health at the global WHO Ministerial conference, held in april 2011 in Moscow. She also performed in Russia in various concerts and stage productions, including Tchaikovsky, The Korolevsky (Royal) and The Kremlin halls, at Paris-Sorbonne University hall in France, at churches and concert halls in Italy (Milan, Bologna, Parma), and appeared on radio and TV. In summer 2013 Sandra performed at concert halls in Vienna and Bar, and in autumn of the same year — in Berlin, Washington D.C. and New York.
In 2010 and 2011 she sang parts of Dido (H. Purcell, 'Dido and Aeneas'), Contessa (W.A. Mozart, 'Le nozze di Figaro') in Zagorje (Northern Croatia) with a local chamber orchestra; in 2012 and 2013 she sang Annina in Verdi's 'La Traviata' and Mimi in Puccini's 'La Boheme' at Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Opera Theatre.